Following fans feedback and realising that Heroes VI as well as VII have had a more simplified tier system that reduced depth and strategically oriented choices, Heroes VIII needs a whole new tier system as well as world setting for the game. Something that adds complexity and brings back some depth to this part of the game.

The three tier system doesn't work, as it's too simple and the creatures have similar power levels (like it was in HVI). Now in HVII there is something that resembles a five tier system but still, disguised as a three tier system which ultimately makes it clumsy at best.

Our idea? Much to what other fans have been saying so long, we feel that there is a need to go back to the roots of having a seven tier system but also add some diversity to it, by including the HIV dual choice tiers (which also started appearing in HVII) system with little bit of HV

Q&A

There would be 12 creatures in total for every faction, that is too much ?

Minastir: Well, now we have 8 creatures in every line-up and 3 unique war machines for every faction which gives us 11. We believe it would be better to have again three basic war machines for every faction and more creatures to choose from. We could also make 3 or 4 tiers with one creature, not only 2 tiers but we decided it is easier to decrease the line-up than increase the size of it. It's harder to come up with a bigger line-up and we do like a good challenge
Articun: Also, let's not forget that we have neutrals as well. We understand that neutrals add diversity with the 7 tier system. But when you have 12 unique units per faction, we can be forgiven if the game launches without neutrals. I hope...

A little bit more info on the tiers and why did you choose "iconic" creatures and what makes them such?

Minastir: Five tiers with two creatures, every creature with one upgrade, two tiers with one creature and two upgrades. Those two creatures are "classic" or "iconic", it means that it is hard to imagine certain faction without those two creatures, creatures which appeared in most of the heroes titles. In every faction those classic creatures have different place in line-up based on the power level and how they fit with the rest of the faction. In one faction they could have tiers 2 and 6 and in another tiers 1 and 3, so there is no rule what tiers those creatures would take in various line-ups. The only rule is, that it can't be for tier 7, every faction has two champions. Classic creatures have two upgrades which are different from each other, usually they will have different roles and or abilities, another choice to make, let's hope not easy to make. All classic creatures were chosen at the beginning of making every line-up and are predetermined.
Articun: Well, i always thought that i wanted to have diversity and replayability in my games. I may prefer one unit over the other, or i may like one lineup over another from previous heroes games and i want to be able to customize my armies. So, a 7 tier system that lets me choose which units i want each time suits this. Given that each tier has a restriction of choosing one out of two units, but that restriction adds to strategic choices. It makes the player choose how to play. As for the iconic creatures, we wanted to have something like a constant per faction, something to say "this is my faction" of sorts. So yeah, you have the orc for stronghold and you have the mage for academy for example. But even these units have alternative upgrades to follow the pattern of choice. We also tried to make each tier between factions as diverse as possible (but understand that with so many factions and units, some roles may be more prominent than others), because we wanted to avoid the strong elite unit problem that rose with heroes VII (all strong elites are melee damage dealers).

One could argue that giving all of these in the vanilla build of the game can hinder expansion. What about that?

Articun: It is true that giving away features from the start of the vanilla game can hinder the further expansion of the faction in future releases but! Each expansion can add a faction or two and focus mainly on the balancing issues of previous factions or play with unit abilities. So in retrospect, it depends on how someone sees it. Asking for more content in faction with 11 units is a bit too much, but asking for the addition of abilities or balancing issues is fine i think.
Minastir:In my opinion there would be no reason to add anything more to the already existing factions of vanilla, 12 creatures and two with two upgrades that is a lot of already. The expansions would add new factions one or two at a time. Overall number of creatures will be pretty big

The new world:

A whole new world, that's what the next Heroes games needs. There is just too much bad blood with Ashan, what it represents and how restricting it is. Even moving forward with the history (After HV) might not solve all the problems of Ashan, might even increase them. That's why we are creating new setting for Heroes.

Factions of this world are similar to the factions we have had before, some are more like they were in previous games before Ashan. But we are not changing them very drastically, the spirit of the Heroes games we think is preserved. The line-ups have "iconic" creatures and also the creatures that appear very often in every world, but there is a lot of creatures that make their debut, completely new and original. The new tier system allowed us to make line-ups in such way that everybody should be happy. People who want some changes and new creatures and also those who want the classic and standard factions.

Info: The Dominion of the undead consist of houses of powerful Vampires and Liches mainly wanting isolation and discretion but also struggling for power. The undead community is in a constant imbalance of power between the death Lords, the oldest beings to be in a state of unlife. Their character is also quite diverse. There are those that became undead in order to seek vengeance among the living and will do everything in their power to dominate the living. There are also those that were never given the choice of unlife and either have gone mad, or lost into their desires. There are even those that have gained immortality in order to understand this world and its mysteries. They are all powerful, they all have had years of experience to hone the skills they wanted and as such they have come to be very manipulative. A necromancer will mostly work from the backstage, orchestrating his grand play and will appear in full force when all the pieces have been set.

Religion: It is said that the God of Death walks the land with his undead followers. Some say it was the first undead. Some say such a god or any god does not exists. But then again, not many undead care about Gods and religion. When you choose unlife, you chose to go outside the cosmic plan of life and death, you become an outcast of the gods. And many vampires and Liches are too focused on their own business to mind.

T1 Skeleton (Walker/melee) / Skeleton Archer (Walker/shooter) Basic reanimated unit by Necromancers, very slow and easiest to kill but their strength comes from numbers. Because of their fragility the upgraded form uses bow, as a shooter a skeleton can withstand on the battlefield much longer.

A: Skeletal - Skeletons takes X% less damage from ranged attacks.

T1 Ghost/Banshee (Flier/melee) Known as wandering souls, they are souls of recently dead beings that for some reason are unable to move on, for example a sudden death, an unfulfilled wish or an attachment to something. Necromancers harvest them and bound them to their will or if the ghost can be reasoned with, take them as servants and spies.

A: Incorporeal - This creature is incorporeal so any non-magical attack against it has only X% chance of inflicting damage.

T2 Zombie/Plague Zombie (Walker/melee) Zombies are more durable than skeletons because they are not as likely to fall apart but also they are highly poisonous. Their rotting organs create toxic gases inside them and make them bloat. Those gases are evaporating from their mouldering bodies and make the air around them not possible to breath without getting sick.

A: Festering Aura - This creature decreases all its neighbors' attack, defense and their morale regardless of who owns them.

T2 Soul eater/Soul devourer (Flier/melee) Wandering souls that did not manage to move on for many years or souls that had a strong connection to the material plane in time degenerate in mere shells or husks of what they once were. The only thing driving them is their instinct of preservation and since they are made of soul matter, they seek other souls to feed and sustain their existence. A soulless human will have no conscious or be in a state of living comma and often they become the perfect vessels for possession.

T3 Gargoyle/Obsidian Gargoyle (Flier/melee) It was common for people to craft these grotesque demon like creatures in places of eternal resting to guard the living from wandering souls or vengeful spirits. Some of them were also imbued with basic warding magic. Necromancers, lovers of irony managed to find ways to trap souls into these constructs and make them animate. Magically imbued stone wasn't such a good conduit for holding a soul though and Obsidian was found to provide a much more better conduit candidate for this form of "tormenting punishment".

A: Magic Resistance - Magic attacks to this unit have their powers and effects reduced by X%
A(U): Durability - This unit body is so strong it can withstand enemy ranged attacks and reduce their power by 25-50%

T3 Mummy/Royal Mummy (Walker/melee/Spellcaster) A common burial rite is the mummification process. Many civilizations use this method because they consider it sacred but also because it made it very hard on necromancers to turn such people into undead. But with time, necromancers found that although they could not reanimate the body, they could infuse it with souls. The result was a body that is much more durable to decomposition with a soul that could keep its sanity and mentality. As an extra bonus, somehow, this Mummies as they are called have an inclination to be adept in curses, causing despair and weakening their enemies when they come in contact with them.

A: Cursing Attack - After a successful attack, the target creature also suffers the effect of one of the following damnations: Weakness, Slow, Suffering and Vulnerability.
A(U): Living Curse: Units attacking this creature or the retaliation of this creature has a X% chance to cause one of the following damnations: Weakness, Slow, Suffering and Vulnerability.

T4 Vampire - Vampire Lord/Nosferatu (Teleporter/melee) To live forever is to steal the life of someone else to add it to yours. Vampires are immortals, mostly nobles that denied death due to old rituals. No one remembers how the first one came to be or where it is. They are powerful, they are seducing, they will seek out the life from your blood and you will be unable to resist them. But they do have one weakness: their lust. All vampires have passions, desires that overwhelm them, something that distinguishes them from liches and makes them unable to become as powerful as them. In time, vampires can learn to direct these passions and direct them in a useful and not self-destructive way and become Lords. The less fortunate, are lost into their lust and bloodthirst and in time they become "beasts", disfigured and feral, slowly forgetting that they once were sentient.

A: Life drain: When a successful attack lands, this unit is able to recover 30% of the total damage as health points reviving fallen units.
A(U): Seduction (Vampire Lord): When this unit lands a critical hit it has a X% chance to seduce a unit of the same or lower tier. Seduced units are controlled by the vampire owner on their next turn.
A(U): Bloodlust (Nosferatu): With each attack that manages to kill at least one unit in an enemy stack, this unit has its attack value increased by X% until the end of combat.

T5 Lich /(Archlich/Power Lich) (Walker/shooter/spellcaster) Delvers of dark arts, pursuers of immortality bound their soul to their body or a very powerful artifact called the "phylactery". With these rituals and the strong magic surging through their bodies, death passess them entirely and they become immortal with the consequence that their body disintegrates until nothing but bone remains. They command powerful dark magic and can cast just as powerful spells and even animate the bodies of the fallen. In the undead world, Liches are power figures, commanding authority but more seclusive, unless they desire to command the world.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Animate Dead: Reanimates creatures in target friendly stack. Undead creatures are brought back to "life".
A(U): Master of Dark Arts (Archlich): Archliches are potent undead mages, with spellbooks filled with powerful dark spells like agony or suffering.
A(U): Death Cloud (Power Lich) : Ranged attack damages not just the target but all non-undead creatures covered by the Death Cloud (3 by 3 tiles) appearing at the hit point.

T6 Rotten Dragon/Zombie Dragon (Walker/melee) When a dragon dies, their soul is returned to the spirit world or is manifested again as a new dragon. You must be very quick, able and powerful to create a ghost dragon and then command it. But what is easier once you find the rotting carcass is to reanimate it. It may be slow and driven just by lower instincts but that makes it so much easier to control and command. They are usually used as guardians or protectors, "sleeping" until a thread arises.

A: Festering Aura :This creature decreases all its neighbors' attack, defense and their morale regardless of who owns them.
A(U): Infection: The bite of the dragon causes infection, slows down the enemy creatures

T6 Abomination/Ghastly Abomination (Walker/melee) After battles Necromancers raise the bodies of enemy troops into zombies but the decapitated limbs, heads and different parts of bodies can't move on their own and are no use to them. To be able to use them, Necromancers created Abominations, creatures consisting of bones and flesh of many enemies. Abomination has many arms, legs and heads and in every hand can carry different type of weapon.

A: Durability - This unit body is so strong it can withstand enemy ranged attacks and reduce their power by X%
A(U): Reconstruction: When standing next to the body of enemy living creature this unit can use the remains to heal itself.

T7 Wraith (Flier/melee)/Grim Reaper(Teleporter/melee) Wraiths and their more powerful forms, Grim reapers, are pure manifestations of death. Wraiths and Grim reapers can be called a creation of the God of death himself, his workers or direct servants. When the god of death was born, and the undead with him, death also manifested itself into these "beings" and keeps doing so in places like battlefields where many people die. Their sole purpose is to reap souls and by some "divine" scheme they know when they must reap or if necessary how to fasten the reaping if need be. They are also known to follow and protect very powerful necromancers, Liches and Vampires.

A: Aging: The successful attack of this unit causes all parameters of the enemy unit to decrease by X%
A(U): Death's Grasp: A successful attack to an enemy unit by this unit will cause damage each turn. The inflicted damage is decreased by X% (of the total damage inflicted) each turn.

T7 Black Knight/Dread Knight (Walker/melee) Nobody really knows what the dread knight is. Some believe it is a haunted armour of a vengeful spirit, others say those are the oldest vampire lords and some don't even want to think about them because of the terror they cause. The truth of the matter is nobody knows, because nobody ever survived an encounter with a dread knight to tell the tale, but their parade at nights can be seen from afar, horse bones clattering, ghost lights showing the path and an eerie chill that gnaws to the bone.

A: Death's Charge: If the attack of this unit lands at least 1 damage to the enemy unit, that unit dies.
A(U): Eternal March: Whenever this unit manages to hit with a critical hit, it gets an extra turn that can move to half its original move and deal up to half its full damage. Eternal March can trigger as many times as the unit lands a critical hit

Info: A communion of races that have one thing in common: honor. The dominant race, the orcs, have influenced many races such as trolls, cyclops, goblins and others to follow them and accumulated them over time as one. Their civilization and culture is founded upon two principles that reflect their gods as well: the twin gods of Construction and War. Stronghold races are mostly on the foot, moving from place to place with some "towns" built along their routes. All orcs can easily adapt to the role of a warrior or a builder and are adept at both (their architecture being mostly practical). A warchief and his council of elders and warlords is in command of all tribes. Warlords are chosen by their actions, be them battle prowess, cunning, tactical intelligence or the ability to get help of powerful spirits. An elder is a member of the communion that due to old age cannot contribute much in battles but his wisdom now offers guidance and helps in training the younger members of the tribes.

Religion: Two Gods, the builder and the warrior are the gods of the Stronghold tribes. They appear in many faces and they are not restricted by gender. When they represent them in their stone carving, the shamans depict them as two faces with one body, with female breasts but male genitalia holding a double faced axe in one hand and a builder's hammer on the other. In a more deeper sense, they represent the duality of dark and light, earth and sky, creation and destruction. These themes are prominent in orcs and the rest of the barbaric tribes that have to learn to balance them and control them.

T1 Goblin/Goblin Hunter (Walker/shooter) This impish creatures resemble animals more than orcs, but still they are intelligent enough to be very creative. They reproduce fast and exponentially and thus they are often compared to rodents or hares. Being small and fairly weak in body makes them unfit for battle, still orcish blood must run through them as they always find a way to be part of wars, fights and battles, even from a distance and with cunning.

basic: slingshot
upgrade: boomerang

A(U): Crippling Traps: Creature sets a trap, if enemy stamps on it, he'll receive 2 damages (for every goblin in a troop) and four movement point to the end of a turn.

T1 Harpy/Fury (Flier/melee) Harpies are very old creatures. So old infact that they have evolved differently through the ages. All harpies are part woman and parts bird but some of them look much more feral, almost like humanoid birds with very little human features while others, are just women with wings instead of normal hands. Depending on where you go, every harpy population is different.

A: Strike and Return: After attack creature goes back to its place.
A(U): No Retaliation: The Fury's attacks cannot be retaliated

T2 Gnoll/Gnoll Captain (Walker/melee) Gnolls, part human part hyneas, were not treated with great respect. One of the many races to inhabit Inolin, they never known kindness by other races. Usually used as servants or slaves, eventualy they were cast out to the deserts, mountains and other harsh environments. Being feral by nature, and mostly poor in mind, they regressed to almost being beasts. It were the orcs that found them once more and saw the value in these loyal people. For Gnolls are loyal to a fault once one shows them respect, and orcs did show honor, respect and patience in taming them. Thus the proud faction of gnolls enter the warbands of the communion, becoming fierce warriors, and proud protectors.

A: Immune to Mind Control: This creature is immune to mind-affecting spells.
A(U): Loyal strike: Whenever an allied unit is attack within the reach of this unit, this unit attacks the enemy target if the allied unit is able to retaliate.

T2 Boar rider/Boar raider (Walker/melee) At first boars only provided fair game and food, but soon, orcs and goblins realized that to be able to move faster both for transport and to carry the loot from the raids, they had to also tame the boars. Boars may not be as fast as a horses but they are very durable and obedient creatures which not only tolerate the conditions of the drylands and tolerate the orcs but also can land heavy blows with their tasks to their enemies.

A: Knockback: Any critical attack from this unit will cause the target to be pushed back a tile if the space is not occupied.
A(U): Charge: Each tile this unit moves towards its target to attack it gains more damage.

T3 Orc - Slayer/Crusher (Walker/melee) In the Stronghold you will not find a prominent race which is above others. But in the core of this faction you will always find the orcs. Savages for many, yes, but able fighters, proud as a race and bloodthirsty. Most heroes of this faction are orcs and rarely an orc will fear death. Even rarer will be an orc betraying his honor or his comrades. They work as a communion of comrades or family above all and even when they challenge each other they do it clearly and visibly, without cunning. Cunning is left for their enemies.

A: Bravery: Creature always has positive morale
A(U): Cleave (Slayer): If this creature's attack kills at least one creature in the target stack, it performs an additional strike.
A(U): Enraged (Crusher): This creature's Attack increases during combat when any stack of friendly units dies

T4 Shaman/Omenspeaker (Walker/spellcaster/saboteur) Although not a religious race by the standards of other races, orcs and the tribes of the Stronghold, get in touch with their Gods and Goddesses through specific seers that can decipher the omens and see the Gods when they appear. There is no doubt of how true their Gods are and each orc feel connected to the Warrior and Builder. As such, shamans and Omespeakers are usually orcs, but goblins and werejaguars as well that for some reason are touched from the spirit world, enabling them to live in two realities and use powers from both. Do not forget though that they are warriors above all.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook: Spells: (Shaman): Lightning Bolt - Deals lightning damage to selected enemy unit. (Omenspeaker): Chain Lightning - Deals lightning damage to several adjacent creatures (up to 4), starting with the selected one. Every next creature in the chain gets the half of the damage inflicted to the previous one. (The chain can hit the own creatures)
A(U): Trance: Whenever the unit waits, it enters a state of trance that makes it less vulnerable to enemy attacks or magic.

T4 Karkadann/Karkadann rider (Walker/melee) Orcs breed, nurse and take care of Karkadann's because they are perfect for carrying heavy and big objects and they are also part of the army as a heavy and tireless cavalry. Also they have a precious horn endowed with medicinal qualities, that when powdered can be used as an antidote for various poisonings. But the Orcs never kill Karkadann's for their horn, they retrieve it after the creatures dies in a battle or from natural death. High ranking soldiers in the Stronghold army have the privilege to become Karkadann riders, for an Orc it's a pride and honor to become one.

A: Ferocious Charge: Karkadann charges enemy and dealing his normal attack damage. This attack cannot be retaliated.
A(U): Long Range: Thanks to the length of the spear carried by the Karkadann's rider, the unit can attack creature which is even one tile away from it.

T5 Troll/Wild Troll (Walker/melee) Trolls from the drylands are tall and ugly creatures, usually as tall as two orcs, keeping in mind average orc is taller than a grown man. They are though beings with thick rock like skin and they fight using simple but really heavy weapons, like hammers. Trolls are not only used as powerful infantry in stronghold army but also as builders. They are very obedient if treated well and due to the very strong digestive acids in their stomachs, they can eat anything including metal, rocks, wood and even bones.

A: Frightful Aura: All enemies positioned on tiles adjacent to this creature get their morale reduced by -X .
A(U): Mighty swing: Mighty swing pushes away enemies from the Troll and there is also X% chance to make them dazed.

T5 Wyvern/Venomous Wyvern (Flier/melee) Wyverns are the smaller and weaker cousins of the mighty dragons. Still, their claws and teeth can cause you many nasty cuts but the most useful is the acid breath of the Venomous Wyvern, which can even melt the armour.

A: Scavenger: This creature can restore its health by devouring the enemy corpses lying on the battlefield within its movement range.
A(U): Acid Breath: Venomous Wyverns spit acid clouds that deal damage over the time even after the attack.

T6 Cyclops - Cyclops Commander/Cyclops Wallbreaker (Walker/shooter) Although Cyclops possess great strength, having one eye creates many vulnerabilities in combat. But as a shooter, the enemy usually underestimates them, because contrary to what might seem to be logical, their one eye helps them to concentrate on the single enemy. They throw large stones at enemy troops and wreak havoc. The strongest cyclops are even able to throw such giant rocks that can even break the town walls. Cyclops who have been in the army the longest become Cyclop Commanders.

A(U): Wall crusher (Cyclops Wallbreaker): Cyclops Wallbreakers are so strong that they can lift and throw, rocks so big that can even break the enemy's walls.
A(U): Battle cry (Cyclops Commander): Cyclops Commander war cries encourages troops to battle, increases initiative and attack of friendly troops.

T7 Behemoth/Ancient Behemoth (Walker/melee) Behemoths are very old beasts, maybe among the first to appear on the world. They are huge, savage and seclusive. They prefer to live in solitary and meet with females only to mate. They are very attuned with the earth and sometimes their skin will start to secret minerals making them look like they have a coat of stone. They are very unique in their appearance. For their size, they are also quite fast and agile. The people of stronghold revere these beasts as the manifestation of brute strength and overwhelming power and rightly so.

A: Piercing Claws: The Behemoth&#8217;s claws are so sharp that they bypass some of the target's defense.
A(U): Lacerate: Attacked creature loses X% of the total health for the next 3 turns.

T7 Roc/Thunderbird (Flier/melee) Rocs are giant birdlike creatures. They live in the peaks of mountains and usually fly especially high, hunting mountain goats and other big game. Their feathers are made from some form of mineral material that the Rocs claw and eat among with their prey. This mineral interacts with the currents of air as they flap their wings and create strong currents of static electricity which is able to paralyze anyone who comes in contact with them. Sometimes, as they grow older and their plumage becomes more and more mineral dense, their wings can also create electrical currents that form lightnings and thus are called Thunderbirds. It is also speculated that when many Orcs and Thunderbirds appear in the same region, they can affect the weather creating strong thunderstorms and even tornadoes.

A: Wind blast: Strong wings of Rocs create powerful wind blasts that can push enemies away from them.
A(U): Lightning discharge: At the beginning of the next turn every creature surrounding Thunderbird is electrocuted by lighting, dealing X damage.

Info: Not many races dare to travel deep within the thick expanse of the swamps and for good reason. Even the mightiest orc or the best werejaguar hunter knows that the races that reside there made the terrain be a part of them. Branches will pin you down, eyes will follow your every step, half of all living things there are heavily poisonous and all of those dangers are in the command of the two prominent races that call this inhospitable place home: the frogkin and lizardkin.

Since ancient times, both of these races preferred isolation and not much has changed throughout the ages. Still, a lizarkind mercenary or a frogkin naturalist might be seen in the outside world, but mostly, the majority live inside their treehouses content in their domain.

Lizardkin are by nature hotheaded beings. Fighting is in their blood and their temperament is quite heated as well. They are easy to provoke and fast to draw spear or sword. On the other hand, Frogkin are docile, gentle and harmonious. They will spent hours observing, learning and listening from other living creatures such as plants and animals. They also possess a great amount of magical energy but unlike the wizards, they do not intent to increase it or tap much into it.

The two unlike races, were once in war between each other but through years of struggle and fighting, understood that by joining forces they could not only live better but also prosper. Their society is much like a living body, with forgkin acting as administrators and lizarkin as the executing body. In times of peace, a council of elders made by both lizardkin and frogkin will oversee all pressing matters but in times of war, the Lizardkin Warlord will take the absolute lead with the council having the secondary authority.

Religion:They worship the earth shaper, a God that gives and takes life in equal measure. In contrast with the God of Death, this God only takes a life in order to shape it into something new. Thus for these races, life and death are but passages from one form to another and as such consider death as an insignificant event in their life. But they consider the unlife a heresy on the natural order of things and a very selfish act for one to make. The earth Shaper is in constant war with the Death God and thus, in the swamps whatever dies, always stays dead to follow the natural order.

T1 Serpent Fly/(Dragon Fly/Damselfly) (Flier/melee) Although small and fragile insects, they are numerous and very fast. Serpent Flies have not yet developed the ability for poison. They do possess minor stingers though on their legs and razor like organs in their mouth, much like animals have teeth. Dragon Flies are the adult form of serpent flies and as such they are called the Prime form. They are fully developed, with poison glands and much bigger size, their poison can last for a long time. Damselflies are smaller than Dragonflies but they are much faster and agile also they usually attack in swarms.

A: Agile: This unit will always act first every turn
A(U): Poison glands (Dragon Fly): The attack of this unit will cause the enemy to be poisoned, causing X damage each turn for X turns. If an attack is made from a Dragon fly to the same unit, the poison turns will reset back to X.
A(U): Swarm (Damselfly): If two or more stacks of Serpent Flies or Dragon flies are next to an enemy stack, that stack cannot move.
A(U): Swift Bite (Damselfly): Each time this stack attacks it has a 10% chance to attack twice.

T2 Toad/Poison Toad (Walker/shooter) Toads are natural creatures inhabiting the swamps, they can grow to giant sizes and many species are also poisonous. Poison Toads are colorful and some have capsule like organs on their body that stores the poison. As such, any unit attacking the toad up close will become poisoned. To these species, the ability to bring enemies close with their tongue acts also as a guarding aspect because most of the times the poison will not cause damage but rather will weaken the enemy.

A: Mucus Spit (Activated - available every 3 turns): every toad or frog produces mucus that either covers his body or excretes it somehow. Toads trained to act as guardians are of the species that will spit out their mucus causing an enemy to slow or be immobilized.
A(U): Long Tongue: not true shooters but still able to attack from their tongue that they project with force from afar, toads are able to attack the enemy from 5 tiles away. The downside is that the sticky substance on their tongue will also cause small units to come in front of the Toad.
A(U): Poison Body: Any unit that attacks the Poison toad will become poisoned having his Attack status reduced by X% and his speed by X% for 3 turns.

T2 Myconid/Fungal Monster (Walker/melee) Myconids are an evolved form of fungus that are able to move and possess primitive intelligence. They will lay still and appear as huge mushrooms but whenever a prey appears they will strike poisoning it and consuming it. If by any chance the prey tries to get away, it won&#8217;t get far, due to the spores of the myconids that will poison it and paralyse it in a matter of time. Some even say that the victim is still alive as the myconids start digesting it.

A: Infest: Infest makes every unit that attacks the myconid get spores, at the end of each battle turn, the spores inflict X damage points.
A(U): Parasyte: Myconid gains X health points, from the damage inflicted on every creature that has spores.

T3 Nixie/Nixie Witch (Walker/spellcaster)] Nixies are considered some sort of swamp fairies and they are intelligent beings, more so than any other fairy or spirit. And they are also magical by nature, but they have partial control of their magic. As they grow older and more experienced, Nixies gain a little bit more control over their magic. But they never seem to get the full control in their life. They tend to seep out magical energy around them though that translates as healing and strengthening aura. They are then given the title Witch, for the people of Bastion, it means a supporter and a healer.

Nixies can cast spells without mana cost, as if they were their attack. Each spell has a duration of 1 turn.
A: Healing Mucus: Nixies are able to heal units next to her by restoring X% of their health points each turn.
A: Spells: Naturalize (the target gets the Petrified skin spell effects but their health and movement status is decreased by X%), Recuperation (the target gets the Regeneration spell effects but their defense and attack is decreased by X%), Growth (the target's health and attack increases by X% but they can attack last on every turn and their defense is decreased by X%)
A(U): Radiating Mucus: A remnant of their frog origins along with the innate magic they possess, Nixies are able to radiate energy that heals and strengthens units next to them by restoring X% of their health points each turn and permanently increasing their attack status by X%.

T3 Lizardman/Lizardman Warrior (Walker/melee) Lizardmen are the main inhabitants of Bastion. Lizardmen have no magic and cannot use magic, whereas Frogmen have it naturally. Their society have evolved so that Lizard Kin are the melee and ranged fighters on the frontline of battle or in hunting. Lizardmen are adept at hiding and blending with their surroundings and will prefer attacking using a Spear that they have mastered with hunting. Stingers are the seasoned hunters that have also learnt to use their abilities and knowledge for war as well. Usually they will wait to attack after the battle have begun, using that time to hide and attack out of nowhere.

A: Ranged Endurance: The hard scales of the alligator will make archers harder to hit him, making the damage from ranged attack decreased by X%.
A(U): Camouflage: If this unit is in "wait" (the player uses the wait option in combat) it will become invisible to the enemy until an enemy unit passes next to it.
A(U): Spear Throw (activated ability - only once per combat): The Lizardman warrior can throw his spear hitting up to two adjacent units causing damage and forcing them to lose their turn (they will act the next turn).

T4 Sharpshooter/(Expert Sharpshooter/Stinger) (Walker/shooter) Lizardmen can move effortlessly in the swamps and up on trees and this gives them the perfect position to attack with long arrows. They move constantly making it very hard for the enemy to hit them. There is a reason why Bastion has remained secret for so long. That reason is the existence of Expert Sharpshooters. Agile and fast, masters of cover and trained in all kinds of terrain, these shooters will hit their target unseen and unheard.

A: Hit and Run: The Sharpshooter is able to move after he has attacked the enemy or move and then attack
A(U): Two Attacks (Expert Sharpshooter): This unit can attack twice in the same turn
A(U): Cover Specialist (Stinger): Taking cover from battle field obstacles increases the defense bonus effectiveness by an additional X%.
A(U): Vital strike (Stinger): Stinger always hits with critical damage when he attacks an enemy from behind.

T5 Naturalist/Master Naturalist (Walker/spellcaster) Since Frogmen have no melee expertise, their bodies are too soft and fragile to go to war, they have adapted to use other means to fight. They can use water and earth spells. They are the main supporters of the Bastion army, able to affect the whole army with their spells. Due years of studying nature, the earth and water, the animals and plants, Naturalists can become masters of their craft, being able to do what they did before and also enhance the strength of plants and animals around them. In Bastion society they are the teachers, law and lore keepers, they are respected as wise and citizens will seek their advice.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook: Naturalist - Insect Swarm, Cleansing, Master Naturalist - Mass Stone skin, Stone spikes, Insect Swarm, Entangling roots, Cleansing
A(U): Enhance (activated ability - available every 2 turns): The Master Naturalist can call creatures of an existing stack increasing their number by X%

T5 Basilisk/Royal Basilisk (Walker/melee) Basilisks are lizard predators that resemble small dragons. They lack the wings or more snake like body of the dragons and have more mammalian characteristics on their bodies. Some species even possess 6 legs instead of four. Their colours will reflect their habitat making them very able predators. Most species will stalk in water waiting for the right time to strike extremely fast and drown their prey. But their most fearful feature is their gaze and bite. A direct gaze into the basilisk eyes will mesmerize and slowly turn the unlucky one into stone. This is not instant as their snakelike primal cousins of the same species but still quite deadly for the lonesome adventurers. Finally, its bite possess strong paralysing venom that can incapacitate any enemy.

A: Incapacitation: The venom of this unit has X% chance to cause the enemy to lose its turn
A(U): Petrification (activated every two turns): Any unit in the direction of the basilisk orientation will lose its turn for 1 turn.

T6 Catoblepas/Venomous Catoblepas (Walker/melee) Catoblepas has the body of a bull, a heavy head resembling of a boar and its back is covered in scales. They feed on poisonous plant and fungi and also on decaying life. That has given them immunity to poison but also a poisonous breath. No living being can come too close to a catoblepas and stay unscathed. Lizardmen usually hunt these beasts for their meat but over the years they have learnt to utilize them also for war. Catoblepas in their prime get to the peak of their strength and also produce their most potent poison. Their breath is like acid that withers everything in their path. If you come along a decaying part of the swamp then most likely a catoblepas or a pack of them is near.

A: Scaled Body: This unit is harder to be damaged by ranged attacks or melee attacks, reducing ranged damage to it by X% and melee damage by X%.
A(U): Poison Breath: The unit attacked by catoblepas will suffer poison damage equal to X% of its health rounded down each turn for 3 turns.
A(U): Decaying path: The poison of the catoblepas takes time to dissipate leaving a trail of poisonous fog behind him as he moves that last until the end of turn. Every creature that passes through the fog will become poisoned loosing X% of its health for 2 turns.

T6 Swamp Hydra/Toxic Hydra (Walker/melee) Hydras come in all shapes and sizes. They have adapted to their environment and some are stronger than others. Swamp Hydras have developed legs that allows them to walk on muddy land and also swim. While in their hooded form they have yet to evolve their toxic glands and use their hooded heads as intimidation. As with most Hydras, when they attack they do so in all directions if there are many enemies around them, or they can attack multiple times in one enemy if only one is threatening them. As the swamp Hydra matures and grows in size it loses its hooded head and develops specialized glands that produce acid. That gives them the name of Toxic Hydras. Their toxic does not create much damage though but instead it destroys weapons and armor making the attack of the Hydra more effective.

A: Unlimited Retaliation: Having many heads means that if you hurt one, the other will always attack.
A(U): Multi-Headed: If enemy units are present around the Hydra, it will attack all of them and retaliate on all of them.
A(U): Toxic Glands: Each attack by the Hydra will cause X% of extra damage based on the defense of the unit it hits. It will also cause the defense of the unit to be lowered by X% and its attack power by X%. The duration of this effect is 2 turns that can be reset if the Hydra attacks the same target again.

T7 Cipactli/Rampaging Cipactli (Walker/melee) A being unlike any other, Cipactli are a primal fusion of swamp creatures into one. Part crocodile, part toad, part fish and enormous in size, Cipactlis are one of the fiercest if not the strongest of the beasts one is to encounter in a swamp forest. If one lives to tell the tale. Cipactlis have great hunger, close to insatiable, and they will eat almost anything they can fit into their mouths. Their tremendous strength is able to shake even the greatest walls. Often considered the Swamp Lords, Cipactlis at their prime are a force unlike any other. Maybe on par with Dragons or the Legendary Behemoths. They have grown bigger and massive with all their eating. They will now eat allies and foes to regain health and they will also Rampage and charge into battle.

A: Predate: The Cipactli will attack any unit passing next to it for any direction.
A(U): Wall Smasher: The cipactli is able to attack walls with 2 times the normal damage a catapult would cause
A(U): Hunger (Activated ability): Once per combat the Rampaging Cipactli can eat a unit stack reducing its numbers by 20% and restoring 40% of Rampaging Cipactlis health.

T7 Mantis/Alpha Mantis (Flier/melee) Mantises are the best predator the insect kingdom has to offer. Mantises are fast, able to fly and have razor sharp scythes as weapons. There are some things that must be said for the so called "Alpha Mantis". Let's begin by saying that they are female. Females eat their consorts after reproduction. So an Alpha Mantis is usually a pregnant female. That gives it some extra "traits". They are far more ferocious, much more dangerous and hard to handle. These insects are truly a sight to be seen and a force to be reckoned with.

A: Piercing Attack: There is 20% chance the attack will inflict damage without calculating positive buffs or the defence of the enemy.
A(U): Regeneration: This unit will restore some of its health each turn
A(U): Ferocious Attack: This unit is able to attack all sides except behind it and damage all units present there.

Info: It is hard to describe the society of elves, mainly because it feels that is has so many different forms. At first glance it appears as nomadic, with a strong Hunter-warrior in charge of small groups. At other times it feels more along the lines of Aristocracy, where the wisest guides the less experienced. There are also times that a council presides over important matters and finally, there is a King and Queen. They may not be married or even together, but there is always a King and Queen, sometimes even at odds with each other.
As a society though, elves do not differentiate themselves from the other animals. Their lives are just as precious and equal to plants, animals, beasts and minerals. It may sound weird for the uninitiated but it is said that elves communicate with all these beings and that they really acknowledge them as family. All of the forest is a big family. Weirdly enough, there have been occasions that a Baloth felt like it was the leading captain of an elven expedition. If anything, someone could even say that elves are mere servants to all other beings in their forests. And maybe that would be correct.
Elves are by our standards immortal. Death will come to them only by external circumstances. They do age but at a far slower pace than any other race in Inolin. They like song, working with the earth and being precise. That is why they prefer the bow over everything else, for it is the finest art to prove your precision from afar.

Religion: The elves worship the Life bearer, the goddess that keeps and maintains everything alive. This Goddess is also the patron of growth, expansion and vitality. She is the ever young female warrior-adventurer. She does not sit idly in wait, she is in constant movement, constant discovery of new adventures, constant guard over the protection of everything that is alive. And her worshiper-children, the elves do the same as her. They serve and protect everything alive and help them stay alive for as long as possible. But they do not dread or fear death, they understand that the Earth Shaper will use what is dying to give it new form and purpose if need be. As such, the elves are also not fond of the undead as they go against what they believe as sacred, life.

T1: Pixie / Sprite (Flier/melee) Pixies and their older transformation, the sprites are beings created from trees that feed on magical energies. The magic is then directed to the leaves and the leaves transform into faery like beings, that are mischievous and trouble makers but also fun. Despite their appearance that may seem cute, they can be very aggressive and attack with packs, thus making them extremely dangerous in big numbers. At a certain time in its life, a pixie will undergo a transformation,changing the colours of its wings and start producing pollen or dust like particles. This is when it is called a Sprite.

A: Quorum: The more numbers of pixie or sprites in the stack, the more their attack increases (+x% for every 50 pixie or sprites)
A(U): No retaliation: The pollen of these critters will make retaliation impossible.

T1: Spriggan / Thorn Spriggan (Walker/melee) Spriggans are plants, quite evolved plants that behave as animals. Some say that Spriggans may one day become Treants but no one has lives that long to credit that, except the elves, but their druids rarely share their secrets. Spriggans can manipulate their root-legs and Vine-Hands to immobilize an enemy. Also, the variety that has thorns can even cause damage to the entangled enemies that try to escape.

A: Entangle: This units has X% chance to entangle an enemy
A (U): Thorns: This unit causes damage to enemies entangled by it, each time that enemy performs an action (except wait and defend)

T2 Glade Spirit / Cu Sith (Walker/melee) They are called the followers of the Life Giver and they are the Dogs of Nature itself. They are spirits that form in places that life blooms to protect them. The more powerful the Life energy on the place the stronger and more of these spirits will be there. Among them one will take the form of Cu Sith, the Alpha of its pack, that is extremely agile and stronger.

A: Swift: This unit will always attack first.
A(U) :Agility - Up to the next turn, this creature gains a +2 Defense bonus for every tile it walks.

T2 Centaur / Centaur Captain (Walker/melee) Centaurs have been a natural ally of the elves for a long time. Although Centaurs are by no means tied to the forest. Forest centaurs will use spears to attack their enemies from behind bushes and vegetation but their captains have also taken the art of the bow from their elven allies.

A: Long Reach: This unit can attack from up to two tiles away
A(U): Limited Shots: The Centaur Captain can use its bow for 3 shots

T3 Hunter / (Master Hunter / Arcane Archer) (Walker/shooter) The backbone of elven society. Every elf unless he/she is a Druid can take a bow and fill this spot. They are the embodiment of the wild hunt, that will hunt and kill only what is necessary and do so, without causing excess pain, with one swift shot. This makes them deadly during battles because Hunters will consider all enemies as prey and will act the part. Master Hunters are an elite class and the leaders of smaller packs, where their mastery over the bow and arrow is such that they can shoot twice as fast as any other Archer out there. Arcane Archers on the other hand walk a two fold road, not druids and not Masters of the bow but something between, they can imbue their arrows with specific magic to adapt to various situations.

A(U): Double Attack (Master Hunter): This unit can attack twice at the same target.
A(U) Imbue Arrow (Arcane Archer): This unit can use the following spells for its arrow attack: Entangle, Poison, Thorns. Each spell can be used once per combat.

T4 Warden/Warden Commander (Walker/melee) Wardens and their commanders are the elite guard of the King and Queen. Only elves in their prime can ascend to this honor and they are allowed to become riders of Stags, one of the most revered creatures in the Forest along with the Unicorn. For the outsiders, Wardens are the elven equivalent of a Knight or a light Cavalry, but these warriors are much more than than. As they ride, not only can they easily and swiftly overcome obstacles, but the swords of their commanders are at the ready to hit anyone on their path.

A: Strike and Return: This unit will attack and then return back to its starting position.
A: Avoid Obstacles: This unit is able to avoid obstacles, either by passing through them or jumping above them.
A(U): Offensive March: This unit will attack anyone next to its path on its way to its target, causing damage equal to 1/4 its normal damage.

T4 Druid/Druid Elder (Walker/shooter/spellcaster) Druids are the mystics of the forest. They walk a very specific path that allows them to always be in communication with all nature. They communicate with every living being in the forest and thus, can know everything happening inside the forest. To have a Druid in a party is to be blessed with good spirits and vibrance. They somehow radiate calm and peace and fill the hearts and spirits of their companions with joy and confidence. This is a trait that even commanders rarely accomplish. That is not to say that a Druid does not make an excellent commander. Druids are also trained in the art of war, from the perspective of strategy and calculated methods. But in the battlefield they prefer to have the help of nature to hinder and weaken enemies.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook: Spells: (Druid): Entangle, Insect Swarm, Stone Spikes (Druid Elder): the same as Druid + Earthquake, Cleanse, Regeneration.
A(U): Inspiring Presence: Units next to this unit are not affected by negative morale spells and have increased luck and morale.
A (U): Nature Channeling: This creature can increase the hero's Spell Power by its own Spell Power value, but not greater than the hero's Knowledge. The effect lasts until the end of the combat or until the creature dies, and is not cumulative.

T5 Faerie drake/Faerie dragon (Flier/spellcaster) Faerie drakes and faerie dragons are considered among the rarest of beings to come across. For their small size, these cousins of dragons carry tremendous energies which they unleash as powerful magic when threatened. Of course, on the other hand, although elusive, they are tricksters by nature. Under the protection of their cover, they will create illusions and diversions making travelers lose their wits and temper. They are described as draconian in appearance, sometimes with vibrant colors to match their habitant and make them easier to blend in it, their wings, flapping very fast like a dragonfly&#8217;s to allow them for very good mobility and as for size, it usually varies but most would say around the height of an elven or human child.

A: Magic Outburst: When this unit attacks, the player is given a choice of two random 4th level spells to choose. The chosen spell is cast on the target of this unit as the unit attacks.
A (U):Magic Siphon: When a spell is cast directly on Faerie drake or Faerie dragon or to a unit adjacent to it, it will be converted into health points for the unit. If the units' HP are full, the damage will hit normally.

T5 Unicorn / Silver Unicorn (Walker/melee) One of the most sacred creatures of the forest. As long as a Forest is well, Unicorns will thrive. When Unicorns become scarce, it means that the Forest is dying. For Unicorns are somehow tied to the Forest they live in and are sustained by it. Even if you get unicorns captive and put them into another forest, it doesn&#8217;t mean that they will procreate. How they populate other forests is still a mystery. But elves tend to these animals and treat them as the soul of their forest.

A: Blinding Attack: A successful attack from this units has x% chance to blind the target. Blinded enemies have reduced chance for their attack to hit.
A (U): Aura of Magic Resistance: For this creature and all friendly units located on tiles adjacent to it, magic resistance increases by 30%

T6 Treant / (Ancient Treant / Evergreen Treant) (Walker/melee) Few beings in the world has lived as long as the treants. No one really knows how they come to be. Some say Spriggans turn into them, while others say they are trees that have awakened from their slumber. No matter the origin, Treants live in their own rhythms. They are slow to move and speak but they make up to this by being very sturdy, huge and durable. Ancient treants in particular can entangle enemies with their leafless branches and mighty roots, while offering cover to other allies. Evergreen Treants on the other hand are full of life force, and are able to regenerate and heal those around them while attacking multiple enemies at once.

A: Safehouse: This unit is able to act as a battlemap obstacle, providing cover bonus to the ally units around it.
A: Swing (Activated): This unit can attack all enemies on the 4 tiles in front of it.
A(U) Entangle II (Ancient Treant): Enemy units around the Ancient Treant will become entangled as long as the treant is next to them.
A(U) Life Surge (Evergreen Treant): This unit is able to Regenerate each turn and also provide healing to the allies around it.

T7 Fire Bird / Phoenix (Flier/melee) There is no other being that truly radiates life more that the Fire birds and Phoenixes. The fire is meant metaphorically because of the warmth these birds emit and radiate and because of their crimson and golden color that when it reflects the sun it seems like a fire is flying in the air. But their true form,the phoenix is the marvel of nature. An eternal bird, dying in fire and being reborn more beautiful, stronger and healthier than before.

A: Comfort: This unit provides morale and luck boost to all allies around it
A(U): Rebirth: Once dead, the Phoenix will be revived the next round with 50% its previous stack number and will have +3 to all its status. This ability can trigger up to 3 times with 100% chance on the first, 50% chance on the second and 15% on the third.

T7 Green Dragon / Emerald Dragon (Flier/melee) Dragons are truly a sight to behold in any world. Green Dragons can fly as most dragon do, but they prefer to fold their wings and walk among the trees, feeling the earth on their claws and leaves on their scales. They nest in holes deep within the earth, on naturally occurring caves in the forest, usually close to water. Green Dragons and Emerald dragons are heavy sleepers, mainly because of the production of their poison and acid that takes a toll on their body.

A: Acid Breath: This unit will cause damage to enemies 3 tiles in front of it and will lower their defence status by 33%
A(U): Immunity to Earth: This unit cannot be the target of negative earth magic spells.

Info: The Great Towers and floating chambers of this city make the greatest of architecture shy away. No other can boasts of living on flying houses or move their city to their whim. Nor can anyone boast to open a door and find himself where he wants to be. But this is the power of magic and the citizens of this civilization value magic above all.
To those that seek power, these cities are the ideal destination. To those seeking wealth, these towns offer their dream. To those wishing to sell or buy, the markets there are filled with everything one can imagine. Nothing is forbidden, almost everything is allowed.
Each city is governed by a rich family, that usually is also a family of wizards. The head of each Town is also a part of the council that governs all of the Towns. Thus the society is based upon plutocracy. If you have enough money, you can have enough mercenaries and you can hire enough wizards to do as you wish. If you are a wizard as well things become much easier.
Mercenaries thrive in this city, as well as beings that are sustained on knowledge or magic. Thus, the cities of this civilization are both diverse and unique on their own, a crossroads of culture and races, beliefs and ideas. But do not be swayed by the dream this civilization offers, for when man or beast is given power, that power will one day corrupt him; and corruption brings abuse on many levels…

Religion: It is hard to distinguish distinct belief systems in Academy. Everyone carries what he believes and chooses to believe whatever he wants. There are those that believe that Gods are just forms of energy not entirely understood yet, that manifest as Gods because people believe them as such. There are others that believe that there is only one God and he takes many faces, but even he is just pure untouched energy with some sort of consciousness. Even others can worship the Life bearer, or the Gatekeeper, or even the God of Death. What everyone believes though is that there is some kind of design to the creation of the world, that nothing is random when it comes to the outer world. The world of spirit or the world of demons are governed by different, changing rules, but the world outside, the surface of Inolin is governed by specific rules that apply to the realm of order, and as such, they can be understood and if understood, they can be bend to one's will.

T1 Dervish/Mesmer (Walker/shooter) All of the disciplines of magic rely on trying to manipulate the mana around us. The ways to do that depends on race, temperament and innate tendency. Dervishes and Mesmers can tap magic through body motion, by doing dances, body poses and so on. The magic then radiated around them and when that happens they can direct it as they wish. For many, dervishes are the weakest of wizards, needing time to prepare spells, but with practise and training they can channel that power around them or in objects like daggers and knives thus making them perfect for spying, seduction and assassination.

T1 Tulpa/Mana Servant (Flier/melee) One of the first things wizard learn is to create or summon basic energy forms. These are called tulpa and can survive for a period of time. With training and practise, when the wizard becomes more adept in having magic flowing through him, he can create much better forms and maintain them for much longer. Thus, magic servants are formed. They perform various tasks like a normal servant would but as they are made from magic energy, they can also be converted any time to mana to replenish a wizards reserves.

A: Incorporeal: This creature is incorporeal so any non-magical attack against it has X% chance of inflicting damage.
A(U): Mana Generator: Mana Servant is creating mana for their master, each battle turn generates X mana points.

T2 Baku/Dream Eater (Teleporter/melee) Dabbling with other realms has its merits but also its dangers. Not all living forms in the other realms are good. Bakus are spirit animals, or for some malevolent entities, that eat dreams. They have the ability to enter one's dreams and consume them. Long term exposure to these beings can cause insomnia and then insanity and madness. But, as is the rule with any spirit being, Bakus can be summoned, bind and be commanded to perform various acts, most of them not good.

A: Confusion: Bakus presence makes the enemy next to it unable to discern reality from dream thus making it less probable to land a hit.
A(U): Nightmares: Dream eater can consume the dreams of their victims and replace them with their worst nightmares. Morale of the attacked creature is decreased by X.

T2 Mercenary/Man-at-Arms (Walker/melee) Rarely does a wizard concern himself with learning to wield a sword or train his/her body, unless you are a dervish, but those poor souls have no other choice as they can't dabble in the true art of magic. Thus, mercenary bands and man-at-arms abound in the cities of the wizards. Since wizards and alchemists in particular can create any form of metal, crystal or money is easy to come by for them and mercenaries care about being paid. So, they offer their services to the higher bidder.

A: Opportunity Strike: Whenever an allied unit attacks a unit close to the mercenary the mercenary will also hit that unit unless the Mercenary has already attacked this turn
A(U): Opportunity Retaliation: If an enemy unit attacks an ally next to the mercenary, the mercenary will also retaliate if the unit can retaliate.

T3 Golem/ (Gold Golem/Diamond Golem) (Walker/melee) Mercenaries are a good investment but they are not all that durable or well, livable most of the times. They are fast and can think for themselves of course, but Golems are durable, quite immortal with the right care. They won’t question and will do their job or be shattered in the process. Golems are among the most part-time hobby of the wizards. Almost every wizard knows how to animate a golem, either with puppet master magic or by infusing it with a magical servant, the ways abaund. Still, the most treasures and hard to come by golems are the diamond ones and the gold ones that offer much more than just the physical protection.

A: Construct: This creature is not alive and its morale is always neutral. It cannot be affected by Poison-, Blind- or Mind-related magic. These creatures cannot be resurrected or healed.
A(U): Gilded (Gold Golem): Gilding the golems makes them more resistant to magic. Attacking spells inflict X% less damage to this creature.
A(U): Diamond shards (Diamond Golem): Diamond shards which are part of the Golems body, can absorb magic. Diamond Golems have the incredible ability to absorb part of the power of magical attacks or spells and use it to improve their own attacks (+X% to stats each time this unit is hit by magic)

T4 Mage/Archmage (Walker/shooter/spellcaster) This is your typical spell-caster. It can come from every race, stature or form. There are Minotaur spell-casters, elven ones, humans ones, even the rare goblin ones. As a spell-caster is named someone that can open his body to the flow of magic and manipulate it. Among spell-casters there are many ranks with Wizard being given to the stronger or wiser ones. Such Ranks are the Mages and Archmages. These are more battle oriented ranks that appear when the need for combat arise. They stand in the back-lines of the battle and cast powerful spells at the enemies. Archmages are the overseers of such groups, enhancing even more their magical power of their spells

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook: Spells: (Mage):Fire Strike, Ice Strike (Archmage): the same as mage + Fireball, Ice Bolt
A(U): Magic Attack: Creature hits all creatures in the line of attack with its shot, including friendly ones.

T4 Sky warrior/Garuda (Flier/melee) The proud people of the sky living in the higher cliffs and naturally occurring caves in high aptitudes. They were highly intelligent people but living in a very simplistic way. All that changed when they came in contact with the flying chambers and cities of the Academy. They easily and quickly formed a strong alliance with the wizards. They were given chambers high into the sky and their isolation to do as they pleased and in return, they offered the wizards aerial protection when they would need it.

A: Strike and Return: This unit will attack and then return back to its starting position.
A(U): No Retaliation: The attack of this unit cannot be retaliated unless the enemy unit has the ability Pre-emptive or Unlimited retaliation.

T5 Djinn/(Marid/ Djinn Vizier) (Flier/spellcaster) There is an old story stating: Once the first people had powers like the gods. But the blue people mishandled their power and they were thus punished to have limited will, bound to the wishes of others. No one knows what they did or why, or even what was so severe that the whole of them were punished. What we do know is that Djinns are immortal beings and powerful but they cannot use their power unless ordered to. For Djinns the most powerful wish any mortal race can think of to wish for, seems plain and simple but they cannot speak of the things they know, never to the full extent. Even among them there is a hierarchy, with Marids beings the most powerful “benevolent” Djinns, with the term benevolent being not insane by their captivity after so many years.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook: Spells: (Djinn): Fist of Wrath, Magic Arrow, Haste (Marid): the same as Djinn + Phantom Forces (Djinn Vizier): the same as Djinn + Arcane Armor
A(U): Energy Channel (Marid): If there's a creature with this ability in the hero's army, the hero will need X% less mana to cast spells.
A(U): Magic Touch (Djinn Vizier): The Djinn Vizier’s touch is so magical that it triggers random magical effects on their targets, making them more susceptible to further spells or magical attacks.

T6 Sphinx/Elder Sphinx (Flier/melee) Sphinxes are peculiar beings. In their race, the males are called Lamassu and the females are called Sphinxes. Both feed on magical energy and can use magic if need be. Sphinxes are said to be always in sync with the history of the world, able to recall what happened even ages ago but will say it only in riddles. Having a conversation with a sphinx can cause massive headache as trying to decipher what they means and what they say, needs the full mental capabilities of the listener. Many even joke that this is the reason the Lamasus only meet them to breed and do not mate with them for life.

A: Magic Eater: All aura or enhancing spells targeting this unit will heal it by x%, where X depends on the tier level of the spell and the magic power of the caster.
A(U): Dampen Magic: This creature completely defends all neighboring friendly stacks from distant magic attacks.

T6 Rakshasa/Rakshasa Raja (Walker/melee) Originally one of the Lords of the Spirit Realm, Raksashas are for some kind of mystery. They appeared one day fully materialized and offered an alliance with the wizards, working with them as equals. To this day no one knows why they left the spirit realm. Wizards gave them authority positions like city protectors, or as army commanders since they were battle thirsty by nature. For some, this decision isn’t wise as they know not of their ulterior motives or their true purpose, but for so many years Raksashas have made no move of anything malign so many have even forgotten that they may pose a threat. Only time will tell if this is true or not.

A: No Enemy Retaliation: Enemies never retaliate after melee attacks by creatures with this ability.
A: (U) Unlimited Retaliation: Rakshasa retaliates unlimited times.
A(U): Whirlwind: Attacking an enemy, this creature always attacks a 6-tile area (the half of its adjacent tiles in front of it), delivering damage to all who are within it.

T7 Colossus/Titan (Walker/shooter) Giants never truly found a place to belong in the land of Inolin. Feared by many and understood by few, when Magicians contacted them for support they gladly agreed. Magicians were also able to provide them with potions to shrink their size for periods of time, thus allowing them to blend with the other races living in the sky cities. Among the living beings though, Titans are considered among the strongest, able to browl with dragons and even win.

A: No Melee Penalty: Shooter has no penalty for damage inflicted during melee attack.
A: Lightning Call (Activated - 1 turns cooldown): Creature fires a lightning bolt causing magical damage and x% to incapacitate the selected target.
A (U): Chain Lightning (Activated - 2 turns cooldown): This unit attack will target up to 5 consecutive units with each unit dealt less damage that the one before.

T7 Dragon Golem/Crystal Dragon (Flier/melee) For wizards it wasn’t enough to just create Golems with their more expensive versions. In their audacity they recreated the most powerful creatures of all, the almighty dragons. But no matter how hard they have tried the constructs couldn’t withstand the encounter with the real dragons. The greatest wizards minds worked together and through the process of alchemy and by using magic they created a special kind of crystal. Very durable and resistant to external factors and it could also enhance all kinds of magic spells. This is how Crystal Dragons came to be, very rare, very expensive and very dangerous.

A: Construct: This creature is not alive and its morale is always neutral. It cannot be affected by Poison-, Blind- or Mind-related magic. These creatures cannot be resurrected or healed.
A: Magic Reflection: Any harmful spell targeting this unit will be reflected to a random enemy unit
A(U): Crystal body: Crystals used to make Crystal Dragons are magic amplifiers, which makes them perfect construct in the wizards army. All neighbouring enemy creatures receive 50% more direct damage from spells.

Info: Castle, the realm of humans, the weaker race in the face of Inolin. No one really likes the Humans. Most races just tolerate them. In their eyes they are insignificant, like rats or vermin. They live short lives, are weak, not particularly wise (due to their short lifespan) and very prideful. Humans have long been the target of attacks from various races, renegades and bandits. As such, they have formed small societies, fortified as good they can, but still, they do face hardships everyday.
They have evolved a battle hardened society but not barbaric as the orcs. They are strongly religious but in a very different sense from other races. They have a Commander that acts as a King, thus making their society militaristic. Women and men alike from a very young age learn to protect themselves in the arts of combat and martial arts. Children will usually be seen playing war rather than other games. For the humans, each day is filled with danger. They can never know when the next raid will come and their eyes have seen many a killing or a raping.
As such, they have formed a very strong sense of community and of generosity. Every human fights for the whole and not for himself. The society and the survival of the settlement always comes first and then anything else. This is a quality that other races respects about them.
Finally, their code of living consists of overcoming one's fate. They believe that the fate of each person is set in certain degree but they have the free will to break free of that fate and thus become heroes. To die in combat and overcome your fate is to be immortal and become an Angel.

Religion: Humans worship the Lord of Fate and patron of Heroes. He is a tricky God, a trickster and the most incomprehensible of the lot of the Gods. He knows what came to be and what will come to be. He hands out the fate of each person once he is conceived, but there is always a window, a chance in a moment that someone will manage to change his fate. This moment might be the choice to sacrifice one’s self for the sake of others or to inflict great harm. The Lord of fate enjoys watching the lives of people unfold and revels when someone manages to break his fate and change the course of events. But this God can also meddle in the affair of humans. He will often take form as anything and cause effects to accelerate or decelerate as he sees fit.
From the human's perspective, this God is hope. Although they are weak, they live short and are in constant danger, they are in constant opportunity to break their fate, to become heroes, to die and be reborn as angels to continue to protect their brethren. From a very young age, humans of all disciplines learn that they must be vigilant. always in the ready to figure out that one moment that will make them rise above the rest and become immortal as heroes. When every day might be your last, this is the hope that keeps you going on.

T1 Sister/Vestal (Walker/spellcaster) Sister or Vestal titles can be misleading. They are just ranks that describe warrior priestesses. Priests and Priestesses, are people that hear the voice of God. The only way to silence it or be able to decipher it, is to take the appropriate training that focuses both on mind and spirit. It is a hard path that demands good physical health and mastery as well as mental discipline. Thus, these priests and priestess can cast spells easily, sometimes without even realising they did so.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes that can enhance their allies.
A : Spellbook: Spells: Heal, Cleanse
A (U): Aura of Purity: This unit is able to raise by a little bit the morale of allied units next to her.

T1 City Guard/High Guard (Walker/melee) All humans pass the training of City Guard. They learn the basics of using self defence stances, using basic battle weapons such as swords and spears and also how to hold shields and use it to protect others around them. All humans of age will take rounds patrolling their settlements and cities thus keeping them at the ready at all times.

A: Large Shield: Creature receives only X% of damage from all non-magical shooting attacks.
A(U): Shieldguard: All friendly creatures located on neighbouring tiles get only X% of damage from non-magical shooting attacks.

T2 Archer/(Crossbowman/Marksman) (Walker/shooter) Archery and Marksmanship are a distinct path followed by those that are born with steady hands and good vision. While also undergoing the City Guard training, they are also relieved of other daily chores to focus on learning how to use the crossbow with precision and accuracy. After the elves, they are among the best archers in all of Inolin.

A(U): No Range Penalty (Crossbowman): Shooter has no penalty for damage inflicted during ranged attack, provided the range is over half the arena.
A(U): Piercing Bolt (Marksman): The combination of top-quality bolts and improved crossbow power allows the marksmen to shoot through multiple enemies with one shot.

T3 Combatant/Master Combatant (Walker/melee) Female warriors that want to continue their training as elite guards become combatants. Combatants prefer to use the flail as their prefered weapon to overcome their physical weakness over the other races. In their training they also learn to use the flail to hit vital areas of the enemy so that they can stun him enough for them or an ally to land the killing blow.

A(U): Bash: At every attack creature has a chance to stun the enemy so they won't be able to retaliate and lose initiative.

T3 Direwolf/Silverback (Walker/melee) Once wolves and Direwolves were one of the main threats or the survival of humans. Hunting in packs, they ravaged cattle and other animals as well as many humans. In time though, humans managed to find pups and raise them, interbreed them and thus give rise to a new tamed breed of Direwolves and Silverbacks that are loyal and just as deadly.

A: Rend: The attack of this unit opens wounds that bleed out causing the enemy to deal less damage.
A(U): Enraged: This creature's Attack increases during combat when any stack of friendly units dies

T4 Chaplain/Battle Priest (Walker/shooter/spellcaster) Like Vestals and Sisters, Chaplains and Priests undergo the same training of mind and body. For them though, the training is more based on the body thus making them battle ready. Their role except providing spiritual teachings and healing during peace is also to go out for combat or hunting with designated parties and offer support. In battle, they can also stand their own while providing backup with healing and spells.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes that can enhance their allies.
A: Spellbook: Spells: (Chaplain): Bless, Mirth, Inner Fire, divine armor (Battle priest): all spells known by chaplain now become mass spells

T4 Alicanto/Gold Alicanto (Flier/melee) Alicantos are as big as half the size of a grown man. They have the exceptional ability to change their feather to whatever metal they eat. If they are fed a little gold, their whole plumage will become like gold and so on. Their bodies cannot of course create the same metal but it does a very good job of maintaining the attributes of the metal itself. Thus, during battles, humans feed them steel or bronze or iron so that they can become a countable force.

A: Body Shift: Whenever alicanto attacks an enemy, he gains a permanent protection from that enemies’ attack attribute until it attacks the next enemy. If the enemy is melee, it gains melee protection, if the enemy is spell-caster, it gains protection from that element and so on.
A (U): Armor Piercing: When under the Body Shift ability the attack of this unit ignores a great part of the enemy Defense value.

T5 Swordsman/Swordmaster (Walker/melee) Swordsmen and Swordmasters, their teachers and captains, are the backbone of the militia in human settlements. They devote their lives to perfecting the art of swordfighting. In their code of arms are the commands to protect the weaker, be honorable and fight cowardice and malice. Sometimes, they can be so attuned to the sword in their hands that their movements will strike the enemy twice in a matter of seconds. In parties they are usually found with combatants. Combatants stun the enemy and a swordmaster quickly goes in for the swift kill.

A: Parry: This units may block a percentage of the enemy melee attack
A(U): Double attack: This unit will attack twice each time it attacks for the first time and when it retaliates with a successful parry.

T5 Griffin/Royal Griffin (Flier/melee) No one remembers when or how Griffins came to be the allies of the humans. Maybe it was because a royal line once tamed them or maybe it is because Griffins have a natural inclination towards the courageous like Unicorns have a natural inclination to the pure. In any case, Griffins are seen nestling on the roofs of houses or on towers and will be friendly to humans, maybe because they have become so accustomed to their scent. Truth is though a Griffin, or their most spectacular breed, the Royal Griffins cannot be truly tamed. They can on the other hand be bonded with humans for life. Although such a bond is very rare and leads to the fearsome Griffin Riders.

A: Unlimited Retaliation: Griffin retaliates unlimited times.
A(U): Battle Dive: Creature performs delayed air attack on selected tile on the field, causing double damage to any creatures, including friendly ones, which happen to be on the tile at that moment.

T6 Cavalier/(Crusader/Champion) (Walker/melee) Cavaliers are the heavy cavalry Humans use. They can be trained from the battle classes but they can also be from the priests class. They are trained to use the longspear while riding on a horse. They are considered among the elite classes of warriors and inspire great honor when someone fights alongside them. In general, their role is to open up the battlefield so that Direwolves can cause confusion, combatants can stun and swordmasters kill. If the rider comes from the war path, they are called Crusaders and if the rider comes from the Priesthood path they are called Champions.

A: Charge: Creature gets a X% bonus to damage it inflicts during attack for each tile it covered on the battlefield before the attack.
A(U): Pushback (Crusader): When a critical strike is landed, the enemy unit will be pushed 1-2 tiles back and will lose its turn.
A(U): Inspiring Presence (Champion): Units next to this unit are not affected by negative morale spells and have increased luck and morale.

T7 Angel/Archangel (Flier/melee) When a human dies by changing his predestined fate, he rises in a blinding light as an Angel. He is reborn anew into this form, having powers like a demi-god. Angels possess wings that allow them to fly and they will keep wielding the weapon of their preference during combat of their previous life. They feel more connected with all other humans and thus are more compassionate and protective of them. In great heroic deeds, an Archangel may rise instead of an angel. These higher ranking angels have two sets of wings and are given a free control over fate, allowing them to bring back the dead.

A: Protector: Each time a unit is dealt damage, that damage is distributed evenly between the 2 closest allied units and the Angel or Archangel. For each unit that shares the damage, the defence and morale is increased by +5%.
A(U): Resurrection: This unit is able to resurrect fallen allies. When an ally is Resurrected, all other allies gain a morale boost

T7 Lion rider/Realm Defender (Walker/melee) Among the top warriors, usually captains and commanders in battle, are the Lion Riders and the Realm Defenders. These warriors belong to an order that is tasked to protect all humankind in their various cities and settlements. They do not belong to any city and all humans are their brothers. After the angels, they are the most respected of all. In this order go two kind of warriors, either veteran war leaders that still want to fight or when a child is born with exceptional potential. They are tasked to raise their lion themselves and this creates a bond of brotherhood between them. Sometimes, lion and man fight as though they are one body.

A: Push Down: Any enemy attacked by this unit will be immobilized for one turn.
A(U): Coordinated Attack: Whenever a friendly unit attacks or retaliates an enemy standing next to this unit, this unit will also attack the same target.

Info: In the fiery core of the world, under the surface of the land of Inolin, even below the underground caverns of the dwarves and Minotaurs, lies the realm of the chaotic. Everything is in constant change and motion. In there, the core of Inolin acts as a mock sun, making everything a reflection of the outer creation. This is the “body” of the Gatekeeper, the God of Transitions and Chaos. His children live inside the hollow part between the flowing lava and the core, but they do not dwell there for long. Gateways will appear so that a demon can manifest in the outerworld to set things in motion like lust, gluttony, disease, paranoia. Such are the little tricks that create the necessary chaos so that the story of this world can go on.
Demons themselves do not have a constructed society. They are like primal animals, driven by their instinct to accomplish their nature. That doesn’t mean they have no logic or intelligence. Pit Lords and Devils are among the most intelligent beings, able to manipulate situations and events for years in order to create wars, famine, chaos. For them, all other minor demons are just tools.
On the other hand, the coalition named as Inferno consists of other entities as well. Mainly those that worship the obscure, uncertain and chaotic, or those that want to be bound to no rules and no moral dogmas of any kind, such as Efreet, the renegade Genies that seek to break free of their eternal bound servitude inflicted to them long ago, or male and female being that are too attracted to sensual pleasures and so on.
From the perspective of the other races and civilizations on Inolin Demons are feared, and although resented, they are also kind of respected. They are as evil as they can get but when you gaze into the chaos, a part of you gaze back and this is what all races and beings realize in demons. They are not alien or unfamiliar creatures, but manifestations of themselves in a way.

Religion: The word religion in itself cannot apply to demons. Demons exist to promote their function and that is to create chaos with every imaginable way. We can though understand the Gatekeeper by the religion of the cultists. The Gatekeeper is a dark God. He is the one holding the gates: be them the games of chaos and order, logic and insanity; knowledge and ignorance. He is the one always in the threshold, infinitely between two extremes, in two states at once, and as such, quite impossible to comprehend, as to understand his means to understand chaos. They say that his body is the core of Inolin, such as chaos is the core of Order but this claim cannot be verified as no one can ever go to the core of the world and come back to tell the tale. But their dogma suggests that in the core of the world, where the Gatekeeper illuminates with radiant chaos, the demons are born from the darkness and chaotic energies inside all beings.

T1 Imp / Familiar (Flier/melee) One of the lower forms of demons. Imps are formed of unresolved desires and manifest with primal tendencies. Imps act without thinking, always only on impulse. In this regard they are like animals, but they can be easily summoned and bound to the will of a magician (or more correctly a cultist). When this happens, the imp will act as a servant, an acting hand whereas the cultist acts as a consciousness. Bound imps are called familiars. Familiars are very popular with cultists because they feed on desires and inappropriate thoughts transforming them into pure mana.

A: No Enemy Retaliation: The Imp's attacks are so quick, that cannot be retaliated.
A(U): Mana Stealer: Creature takes some of the enemy hero's mana at the beginning of combat and transfers it to the hero. The amount of stolen mana depends on the number of creatures.

T1 Cultist / Occultist (Walker/spellcaster) In all regards and purposes, cultists are wizards that do not want to be bound by rules, hierarchy and any form of commitment. They are free-spirits that unfortunately most of the time translates into murderers, thieves, manipulators and exortionators. They do not so much worship the Gatekeeper, but they do learn to harness the power of the demons to do their bidding. Their favorite element is fire, for its catastrophic power but also because it heightens the senses and delights.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook: Spells: (Cultist): Burning Determination, Fire Shield (Occultist): the same as Cultist + Fire Bolt
A (U): Demonic Conjuring: This unit increases the luck and attack value of neighboring demons

T2 Gog / Magog (Walker/shooter) Gogs and Magogs are lower demons. They are fire demons, able to manipulate fire. They are also said to eat fire and produce it as well. Though the fire they produce is more unstable and “wild” thus, it explodes when it comes into contact with something. Magogs are said to radiate impatiency, hyperactiveness and overwhelming thinking, all attributes of the unstable aspect of fire. Thus they are often used to counter enemy mages and tacticians.

A: Overwhelm: Standing next to this unit will cause enemy melee units less likely to hit, and make enemy spellcasters deal less spell damage.
A(U): Fireball: Ranged attack also affects adjacent creatures with fire damage.

T2 Pisaca / Berserk Pisaca (Walker/melee) Pisaca are gluttony demons. As such they have an insatiable hunger, that is expressed by eating anything that comes on their way. These demons are very primal, they know only how to fight and devour. They are rarely successfully bound to someone and even then, they are hard to control. Pisacas make for perfect warriors and this is how they are usually used by cultists or Demons Lords. They unleash a company of Pisacas and then chaos and mayhem unfolds, full of blood and severed limbs.

A: Devoure (Activated): This unit can cause critical damage to a unit that will incapacitate it and also heal some HP to Picasa.
A(U): Cannibalise (Activated): This unit can eat the corpse of a fallen ally or enemy to heal some HP and also gain regeneration.

T3 Hell Hound/(Cerberus/Orthrus) (Walker/melee) The protectors of all Gateways. They are spirits that inhabit doorways and other forms of gates. From hell hounds, the weakest ones to mighty Cerberus and revengeful Orthrus, their task is to safeguard that inhabitants of the various planes of existence cannot cross to other realms. Magicians, strong and experienced ones can bind these demon spirits making them obey their commands and act as protectors whenever they travel from one plane of existence to another or when they create teleportation gates to move from one point to another.

A: No Enemy Retaliation: Enemies never retaliate after melee attacks by creatures with this ability.
A(U): Three-headed Attack (Cerberus): The creature can attack simultaneously all enemy creatures standing on three adjacent cells.
A(U): Severe revenge (Orthus): Increases damage of the creature by X% on all targets that have previously damaged it.

T4 Loa / Great Loa (Flier/melee) Loas demons of despair, misery and self loathing. They are considered among the greater demons and extremely intelligent. They feed on any positive feeling and emotion or even good and inspiring thoughts. When a Loa is present in a society, that society will slowly start to become slowly darker, its people less trusting, more selfish and egoistical. Slowly, people will start being unhappy and content with nothing, until they will fall into despair. A Loa is said to possess people and take its time to siphon out the person hopes and ideas, slowly leaving him a lifeless body.

A: Siphon Mana: This creature during melee attack can steal mana from enemy heroes and give it to friendly creatures .
A(U): Stealer of Hope: The attack of this unit will cause enemy units to loose luck and morale. There is also an X% chance to cause curse.

T4 Proliferator / Reinless Proliferator (Walker/melee) Proliferators are born from the insatiable desire to own more, to achieve more, to conquer more. They are constantly mutating and dividing like cells. They are the rodents of the demon world, if rodents were huge, powerful and poisonous. They are numerous, for numerous are those that are not content of what they have and always desire more.

A: Leap: This creature can leap on any enemy target, at great distance, getting a 10% attack bonus for every tile it goes over. After the leap, the demon lands on the tile next to the target, and is exposed to double damage bonus retaliation.
A(U): Proliferation: The creature grows by X% in the first turn of the combat. Creatures above the stack’s original maximum will not remain in the Hero’s army after the combat. When this increase occurs, if there is an enemy standing next to this unit there is X% chance it will become poisoned.

T5 Succubus/(Succubus Mistress/Succubus Seducer) (Flier/shooter) One of the surface dweller demons. They are demons of lust, desire and erotisicm. They will seek to corrupt men of honor and integrity. They want to bring out the worst in people and will do so by seducing, using the seduction wither to gain hold of the will of someone with power in order to do as the succubus commands, or they will just seduce them for the pleasure of it and then expose them thus creating negative thoughts that will fuel other demons.

A: Ranged Retaliation: Creature retaliates after enemy ranged attack with its own ranged attack, provided it is not blocked by enemy and has not used up all its retaliation attacks.
A(U): Chain Shot (Succubus Mistress) : This creature inflicts damage to selected target and the three other targets nearest to it. Each successive enemy struck receives half the damage of the previous one. The Chain Shot does not affect Inferno creatures.
A(U): Seduction (Succubus Seducer): Once per combat the Succubus is able to gain control over any enemy creature that is not immune to Mind Control. The ability duration depends on the difference in power between the Seducers and their victims.

T6 Efreet / Shaitan (Flier/spellcaster/melee) Another one of the surface dweller demons. Efreets as Djinns, have unknown origins. What is believed is thus so many years of imprisonment have turned these spirits mad and chaotic. They will do whatever is possible to break free, sometimes even going against their nature, hurting themselves in the process. But since they are immortal, they will be well in a matter of minutes. Some say that efreets are suicidal, others say they have been able to find ways to overcome their predicament. The most dangerous of the sort are Shaitans that are said to be Djinns that somehow found a way to break free, but still, remained quite mad.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook: Spells: (Efreet): Fire Wall, Fire Shield (Shaitan): the same as Efreet + Inner Fire, Fortune
A(U): Immune to fire and Prime: This unit cannot be the target of negative fire or Prime magic spells.

T6 Thrasfyr / Unchained Thrasfyr (Walker/melee) Demons of rage, impulse and vengeance, Thrasfyr are so dangerous that even in the demon world they need to be chained in order to be controlled. Their mayhem and havoc can cause some serious damage and devastation There is a rumor saying that Thrasfyrs may even be stronger than the Demon Lords themselves. A prophecy states that if one day they are freed, it could mean the end of the world is upon us. They are a rare demon to find outside the core of the world, mainly because summoning one requires very complex conjuring magic, with protections within protections and submission glyphs in a very precise manner.

A: Unlimited Retaliation: Thrasfyr may retaliate unlimited times.
A: Enraged: This creature's Attack increases during combat when any stack of friendly units dies.
A(U): Unstoppable: Each time this unit kills an enemy stack it gains another full turn.

T7 Pit Fiend / Pit Lord (Flier/spellcaster) One of the Demon Lords, Pit Fiends and Pit Lords are demons of deception, manipulation and domination. Their presence is enough to make a society start to crumble, when they possess someone they can turn him into a dictator or a tyrant. They can move freely between the surface and the core but they are rarely seen. Usually they shapeshift and mingle with the crowd, ensuing their confusion and mayhem methodically and strategically. They are extremely intelligent and cunning, and to avoid their persuasion, one needs enormous clarity of mind.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook: Spells: (Pit Fiend): Fireball, Vulnerability (Pit Lord): the same as Pit Fiend + Meteor Shower
A(U): Vorpal Sword: Each attack or counter-attack by this creature is guaranteed to kill at least one unit in the enemy army.

T7 Devil / Arch Devil (Teleporter/melee) The other species of Demon Lords, Devils are embodiments of evil and malintent. In contrast to Pit Lords and Pit fiends, they are more savage but just as clever and strong. They act as commanders or demon Leaders, putting the lesser demons in order. They can also freely move between the core and the surface but when they do, an army of demons is sure to follow behind. Devils and Arch Devils, do not allow any civilization to heighten to too much grace. When there is prosperity, growth and peace, Demons will surely come to break that civilization down.

A: Fear Attack: There's a chance the enemy attacked by this creature panics and tries to run to the edge of the arena to get as far away from the creature as possible
A(U): Frightful Aura: All enemies positioned on tiles adjacent to this creature get their morale and initiative reduced by -X.
A(U): Summon Thrasfyrs: Once during the combat creature can summon Thrasfyrs to replace its killed minions. Number of Thrasfyrs summoned depends on the number of creatures who use this ability (activated ability).

Quote:IMPORTANT NOTICEThe pictures we post for the lineups have been chosen to portray the unit in order to make the viewer comfortable with the idea BUT they do not represent the final form of the unit in this world!
-In order for us to portray how Inolin units would feel we would need a good artist and since we do not have one nor do we have good drawing skills, we canonly provide short descriptions of the units, factions and also provide some pictures of the general idea of the unit.
- In the cases of alternative upgrades, such as the Lich or Vampire, we can't in this post show all 3 different units, but we would like them to feel very different and not just be a recoloration of the base unit.

Info: The underground caves, tunnels and crevices are all dominion of the mighty Minotaurs and their allies, vassals or enslaved beasts. Minotaurs are beings that understand strength, be it of mind, body or magic. They are very competitive and also offensive. No one remembers why they went underground or when. All that is now known is that it is dangerous to venture too far within the earth. They sometimes come to the surface but when they do, it is because they are in need of something, be it fame, loot, or power and you should pity those that will encounter them.
For all purposes, Dungeon is a place where one must prove himself. Be it in the slave arenas, the battle Academies or the Beast Tamer grounds, one needs to always be alert and powerful if he hopes to remain a free man and not become a vassal or enslaved to someone stronger. This way of life has given rise to powerful clans of which the strongest one is in charge of all the rest. The leaders of each clan are called overlords and they will wage campaigns to gain wealth and renown. In many such campaigns, each clan has found and either allied with or enslaved other beasts and dwellers of the deep. In the end, power and strength comes from how many raids an Overlord has achieved, how many slaves he has attained and how much wealth he has accumulated without being killed by enemy or friend.
The position of Overlord or Clan King is a fluid one. To challenge an overlord one should gain enough renown, wealth and support to create a feud within the clan. Under these circumstances, the people of the clan can demand that the overlord fight with the contestant in a battle to the end. If the contestant wins, the previous overlord becomes his slave. To take the place of the king, things are much more difficult. The one wishing to become the next king should pledge something great, then he should fight in the battle arena with the king himself. If after this he is still standing, no one can deny he is the new king!

Religion: In Dungeon one can find the religion of three figures: The Earth Shaper, The Warrior and The Gatekeeper. They depicts the three gods as one in small statues that have a male figure with three heads (bull, rat, dragon) six arms, dragon wings and rat tail. With this they want to show that they worship each God the same as the other. Although it should be noted that they do not spare too much time with religion, praying and such. What they do though is offer loot from their campaigns to these Gods. In various times, there has been some strange worshipping tendencies that see Black Dragons as some kind of divine beasts as well but few know more about that cult, although the name Mutare is sometimes whispered.

T1 Troglodyte / Deep Troglodyte (Walker/melee) Troglodytes are dweller of the deep. They onced lived on the surface but ages ago they descendent below earth and years of adaptation have made them blind but very keen and fast moving. When they were enslaved, they were trained to use spears, making them the first line of attack to meet enemies. Their keen hearing and smell allows them to quickly understand enemy from foe and struck with such strength that they can push them back.

A: Blind: The creature is naturally blind and therefore immune to blindness and magical effects relying on sight.
A(U): Spear attack: This unit is able to attack from a tile away from the enemy from every direction. If this unit attacks while adjacent to the enemy it will push the enemy away one tile. The enemy cannot retaliate this unit when this unit attacks.

T1 Ant Guard / Ant Warrior (Walker/melee) Ants are smaller than the other underground races but numerous, fast and durable, although not so strong. They live underground and it is said that they were the ones to build all the tunnels and chambers underground. But when the various queens were enslaved or made vassal of stronger powers, the warriors and builders had to obey the new line of rule without question. As such, their arms were equipped with daggers and trained in advanced war tactics.

A: No Enemy Retaliation: Enemies never retaliate after melee attacks by creatures with this ability.
A(U): Whirlwind: Attacking an enemy, this creature always attacks a 6-tile area (the half of its adjacent tiles in front of it), delivering damage to all who are within it.

T2 Observer - (Evil eye/Lurker) (Walker/shooter) Enigmatic figures that lurk and observe in the shadows. Observers are an enigma, where do they come from? What do they want? What purpose do they serve? Really no one knows. It is doubtful even the Minotaurs of the deep know how this creatures become their allies. Wizards that tried to learn more about them have deduced that these Observers might be able to alter memories and as such, promote what they want, manipulating their way to their objective.

A: Target Link: This unit will cause max damage to the enemy it attacks first for the duration of combat or until this unit dies.
A(U) - Ranged Retaliation (Evil Eye): This unit is able to retaliate enemy shooters
A(U) - Confusion (Lurker): Lurkers presence makes the enemy next to it unable to discern reality from dream thus making it less probable to land a hit.

T3 Ratkin Spellbinder / Ratkin Witch (Walker/shooter/spellcaster) Ratkins can be found both aboveground and underground. Above ground they are often scavengers, thieves and rogues but underground, they were the first to ally with Minotaurs, and as such they have benefited from the safety of the mighty allies to evolve as a society, learning how to wield magic and live comfortably, without being pitied or hated. Maybe they cannot be as strong as the mighty Minotaur warlocks but they can prove very handy and able in combat as well.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook: Spells: (Stoneskin, Poison, Curse, Heal), Ratkin witch: the same + Earthquake

T3 Ahool / Camazotz (Flier/melee) Giant bats are common in the entrances of caves to the underground. Ahool and their bigger siblings, the Camazotz are used by the dwellers of the deep as an alarm system of sorts. They put them to nest to important locations and when someone tries to sneak in, the superior hearing and smell of these giant bats will make them attack on them thus creating a commotion and soon reinforcements will arrive to deal with the intruder.

A: Bat's bite: Performs an attack against neighbouring enemy units and inflicts half the regular damage, if this enemy is attacked by an allied creature. This attack will cause the enemy to bleed, lowering its attack value for a few turns.
A(U): Leech Life: The attack of this unit also heals it for the same amount of damage inflicted.

T4 Ichneumon / Albino Ichneumon (Walker/melee) These beasts are known for their ferocity and their habit of living in large packs. In contrast to other beasts, although small they are inclined to attack stronger and bigger beasts than themselves. Even more weird is the fact that Ichneumon are known to attack Dragons or dragonkin creatures such as wyrms, wyverns and lizards with great ferocity, even if this kills them. No one knows why that is, but Minotaurs have trained them to be loyal just in case black dragons get out of hand.

A: Preemptive Strike: When attacked, this unit retaliates before the enemy attacks.
A(U): Giant slayer : This unit is able to cause huge damage to big or large units. Ichneumon will always cause max damage to dragons.

T4 Centipede / Foul Centipede (Walker/melee) It&#8217;s impossible to live underground and not come face to face with spiders, scorpions and Centipedes. And ages of these predators being unopposed have made them grow large, sometimes very large. Purely instinctive and fast aggressive, the centipedes were seen from early on as a very good weapon in the Minotaurs campaigns for conquest. They are never truly trained, but they are taught by pain and torture to recognise the smell of their masters so that they do not attack them.

A: Charge: This unit will gain more strength the more it moves to land its attack. If the attack is critical, the enemy will not retaliate.
A(U): Venomous: This unit attack and retaliation will poison the target.

T5 Minotaur - (Minotaur Overseer / Minotaur Taskmaster) (Walker/melee) Proud, powerful in body and magic, Minotaurs are conquerors. Male and female are equally strong and magic potent. Their ranks are divided to the fully offensive units, known as Taskmasters that use two sided axes and the controlling Overseers that prefer to use the Whips. All Minotaurs, even the weakest of them tower over the other sentient races of the underground and 'radiate' dominion. It is hard to describe but being next to a minotaur makes one feel humble, weak and unworthy. On the other hand, if you are allied with such beings, this aura translates as certainty of victory.

A: Aura of Dominion: This creature and all adjacent friendly stacks have positive Morale (no less than +1).
A(U): Whip Strike (Minotaur Overseer): This unit is able to attack from up to two tiles away. If more than one enemy is in the area of attack, the damage will be divided equally between them.
A(U): Double Attack (Minotaur Taskmaster): Creature strikes two blows at the target in a single attack.

T6 Manticore / Scorpicore (Flier/melee) Manticores are night predators, nesting deep within caves during daylight. They are sentient but also overcome with their primal instincts and as such, hard to deal with. The Manticore has the body of a red lion, and their face depending on their species might have more or less humanoid features. Some Manticores have wings while others don&#8217;t and others have horns. The tail can resemble either a scorpion one or a draconic one but in all species it possesses a potent venom. To tame or deal with a Manticore first comes the trial of strength, you must prove that you are superior to it and then comes the trial of wits, you must show that you can withstand its poison and maneuvers. If you survive this ordeal and still you are standing, the Manticore will yield to you and follow you.

T6 Buggane / Cave Buggane (Walker/melee) These beasts are night predators that sleep deep in caves during the daytime. They are sentient enough to be reasoned with but also possess very strong animalistic instincts. Dealing with them is hard and sometimes fatal, but the Minotaurs have long since learnt to subdue them and to create counter measures for their poison. After long battles for dominion, Minotaurs have &#8220;tamed&#8221; these beasts that now follow them.

A: Unlimited Retaliation: Anakore retaliates unlimited times.
A(U): Attuned to Earth: This unit has immunity to earth based spells and gains defence bonuses when underground. Positive earth based spells efficiency is increased when cast on this unit.

T7 Red Dragon / Black Dragon (Flier/melee) Among the many dragon races, red and black dragons are the greedy sort. They are drawn to whatever shines and whatever radiates magical energy. They like to nest deep within the earth in spacious chambers where they keep all their wealth. Powerful, prideful and arrogant, they just tolerate the lower races of the underground. Their alliance with Minotaurs is a feeble one always on the point of breaking. But both parties have learnt to coexist and black dragons in particular have taken a liking to those that consider them almost Gods.

A: Fire Breath: During attack, creature damages not only the target but any other unit positioned directly behind it.
A(U): Immune to Magic: Creature is immune to all magic spells (including friendly spells).

T7 Wurm / Abyss Wurm ('Flier'/melee) Wurms are slow huge moving beasts, always eating whatever comes their way. It is said that the biggest chambers underground were build by their movements. Their body reacts to pain by contracting making it very tough and impenetrable. Their size allows them to devour large objects and many living beings easily. No one knows how the abyss dwellers have managed to use them but their appearance on battle bring forth terror.

A: Exoskeleton: Each attack to this unit increases its defense for the duration of combat.
A: Blind: The creature is naturally blind and therefore immune to blindness and magical effects relying on sight.
A(U): Devour: The critical attack of this unit devours the enemy stack if it is tier 4 or lower. Devoured stacks get damage each turn for 2 turns and are unable to perform any action.

Info: Known as brutal but handy people, the craftsmen race of the dwarves and their allies prefer to live in volcanic areas that are in more arctic climates. This gives them the ideal situations to harness the powers of volcanic lava to create their art. Dwarves are hardened by fire and work, their society always revolving around perfecting their crafts and accumulating more wealth. They are also known as riders from time to time, but the raiding only consists of stealing whatever glitters in the sun. Human or any other life does not matter to them and will not think twice to kill in order to get what they want.
Living in the snowy meadows underneath the volcanoes are the savage race of the Werebears. These are primal warriors with basic structure of society and command. They are raiders and their raiding is what keeps them alive. Battle hardened and bloodthirsty, werebears will usually leave nothing behind from the places they raid.

Religion: Nothing is more important than possessing a lot of wealth and a lot of status. This is the Dwarven motto. As such they do not worship any one God but will pray to whatever God they deem appropriate at any given time. For the dwarves, their 'Gods' is fire and ice, the tools by which they create their weapons, jewelry and magical artifacts. You will never hear a dwarf talking about the future or what will happen next, it is like they do not possess such notion. They only care for the here and now.
Although there is something strange about the mysticism of dwarfs. Their runes posses great power, and no one knows why such symbolic magic can be so strong. Maybe in their deep volcanoes they have managed to come in direct contact with a God, or found something else...

T1 Defender - (Shieldguard / Mountain Guard) (Walker/melee) The most basic unit of the dwarfs. They are heavily guarded, due to their slow speed but are very hard to break. These warriors may be slow but are in perfect unison and their armor and shields are made of the finest crafts. After all, dwarfs had aeons to perfect their smelting and crafting. Not only that though, dwarves are very hard to move, like they take roots where they stand.

A: Large Shield: Creature receives only 50% of damage from all non-magical shooting attacks.
A: Armoured: This creature is resistant to all spells and effects that decrease Defense.
A(U): Shield Wall (Shieldguard): Damage suffered by this creature from enemy attack is reduced by 10% for every tile the attacker walked to hit.
A(U): Hold Ground (Mountain Guard): This creature cannot be pushed elsewhere by the enemy
A(U): Defensive Stance (Mountain Guard): This creature has an extra bonus to its Defense while it remains standing in its starting position during the combat. Until it moves, the creature has a +X bonus to its Defense.

T2 Valravn / Elder Valravn (Flier/melee) These mysterious ravens that sometimes have 3 eyes and 3 legs perch at the top of the volcanoes. It is unknown why they do that but some theorize it is because of the warmth the inactive volcano has. These birds are said to glimmer golden when the sun shines on them, although their color is bluish-black. Those attacked by these ravens say that the wounds inflicted by their claws remain as though they have been badly burned while others say that when they stared into their eyes everything went black for a little while.

A: Blind: Attacks from this unit have a chance to blind the enemy
A (U): Burning Wounds: The attacks of this unit lowers the initiative and movement range of the target.

T2 Miner / Artificer (Walker/melee) Although not entirely warriors, even though basically trained, Miners can be considered as scouts. They go through the tunnels searching for veins of various crystals and other minerals. If they encounter something hostile, they can defend for themselves very well. As they become more experienced, they can be named artificers. Artificers constantly refine and work on artifacts and runes, making them better, keeping them up to shape and increasing the quality, thus making any artifact or rune better over time.

A: Gold mining: Every day the hero gets as many units of gold as there are creatures with this ability in all their armies and castles.
A(U): Finecraft: Artificers unique ability provides a bonus based on the level of the hero to all his artifact values and runes.

T3 Ennedi tiger / Saber-Tooth (Walker/melee) These heavy coated Tigers are among the deadliest predators in the icy landscapes. Evolved to withstand harsh environments and hunt elusive and scarce prey have made them very good in causing critical wounds that will slow the prey down and make it easier for the kill. Werebears when they can, capture kittens and train them to be companions. Of course, a cat is a cat, so, they rarely turn out to be as loyal as a wolf.

A: Crippling Wound: In a successful attack, this creature has an additional chance of decreasing the target's Speed (-X%) and Initiative (-X%).The target is wounded for 2 turns.
A(U): Predating: At the beginning of the combat an enemy is marked at random as the target of this unit. When this unit attacks that target it gets bonus damage.

T3 Ram Rider / Ram Charger (Walker/melee) Longhorn Rams make their home on the steep sides of volcanoes and mountains. They abund in the icy landscapes because they have few predators and also because they can fend and protect themselves. Dwarfs took a liking to these beasts from early on, as they were perfect for travelling but also because they served their pride. Ram Riders and Ram Chargers, the former being any dwarf riding the Ram and the Latter the more battle oriented class, will charge through every obstacle and when they hit, they will push enemies back quite a bit.

A: Avoid Obstacles: This unit is able to move through, or above any kind of battle map obstacle.
A(U): Pushback: The attack of this unit will always push the enemy back 1-3 tiles.

T4 Werebear - (Bearserker / Thrasher) (Walker/melee) Werebears have adapted to a harsh way of life. The icy landscape they call home provides few resources such as fish and the occasional meat in very low quantities. Thus, they learnt to take what they wanted from the more fortunate. They are a raiding race, vicious and ferocious. Their Bearserkers will rend through anything with their claws, often losing themselves into the heat of battle and thrashers, while more composed will cut with their weapons through anything. Their raiding leaves the villages they find in chaos and ruins, often, to the point of no return.

A: Enraged: This creature's Attack increases during combat when any stack of friendly units dies (except resurrected creatures or creatures summoned on battlefield by magic). The increase is proportional to the killed stack relative power in the army.
A: Immune to Mind Control: This creature is immune to mind-affecting spells.
A(U): Bearserker Rage (Bearserker): When this ability is used, the creature's Defense drops temporarily to zero, Offense increases by the same amount, and it attacks the nearest enemy automatically without suffering the retaliation strike. However if there is no enemy in the movement range of this creature it will attack a nearest friendly unit instead of the enemy (activated ability).
A(U): Savage Strike ( Thrasher): This creature has a chance of preemptively pushing the target one tile aside and cancelling all Initiative the target has accumulated. The chance depends on the number of tiles this creature moved to attack.
A(U): Werebear Roar (Both): This creature has a chance to frighten a target and its neighbors when attacking (small creatures are more disposed to fear). If successful the attacker gets +1 to its Morale and +10% to its Health.

T5 Rune Priest/Rune Patriarch (Walker/shooter/spellcaster) Runes are a weird and mysterious form of magic. Not entirely elemental and not entirely based on any of the magic schools, rune magic is like a complex system that transent both. Rune priests are the scholars that study those shapes and symbols and their lore is kept secret. Artificers and rune masters share some of the secrets but each &#8220;caste&#8221; safeguards their own with their lives. Rune Priests are also very good with Ice and Fire magic but they specialize more on the Enhancement school of magic, thus they are more supporting than offensive.

A: Caster: This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook: Rune Priest - (Inner Fire, Circle of Winter) Rune Patriarch - the same as Rune Priest + Ice Strike, Frenzy
A(U): Crossfire: The creature attack area has the shape of a cross.The attack only hurts enemy stacks.
A (U): Rune Attunement: The number of this unit stack increases any effects present by runes by x% where X is calculated by the number of units present in the stack and the hero level.

T5 Obsidian Guard/Rune Guard (Walker/melee) Among the artifacts Dwarves make are the constructs under the category called Guards. Among these constructs are the various forms of Gargoyles and the more generic ones called Obsidian Guards and Rune Guards. Not that each dwarf will not make something he considers magnificent but often it is the shape of a Bull they prefer to create. Although the reasons are known only to the dwarfs, many have theorised that it is because of how compact this durable shape of the bull can be and also because it can charge with its great mass among enemy lines causing disorientation and havok. Not to mention that as a shape it is quite easy to craft and polish. Obsidian is preferred by the dwarves because they can easily make it out of lava and because of its powerful magical properties. For making the construct stronger, they carve on it magical runes that enhance its potency.

A: Magic Reflection: Any negative spells cast on this unit are reflected back at random to an enemy unit.
A: Stomp (Activated): This unit stomps at the ground forcing all adjacent units to be pulled away (2 tiles for small units, 1 tile for large units excluding tier 7 units) if able while causing to each affected unit &#188; of its normal attack. If this attack is critical the enemies become incapacitated.
A (U): Rune Synergy: Any runes cast in battle, or any runes the hero has also benefit this unit making it stronger.

T6 Yeti/Abominable Yeti (Walker/shooter) Few and elusive, these beasts covered in white fur live in mountainous caves and are rarely seen. They are very tall and powerful, able to cut through icicles and shoot them with enough force to spear through armor. Contrary to popular belief, they are not carnivorous and they also hibernate. But living in cold climates means that they must find and preserve what little trees and vegetables they find. These are often found around the volcanoes that dwarves dwell in.

A: Camouflage: If this unit is in "wait" (the player uses the wait option in combat) it will become invisible to the enemy until an enemy unit passes next to it.
A(U): Ice shards: Ranged attack also affects adjacent creatures with ice damage.
A (U): Mobile Shooter: This unit can attack and then move or move and then attack each turn.

T6 Valkyrie/Exalted Valkyrie (Flier/melee) Valkyries are spirits of fire and smoke. But they embody the valorous elements of Fire. They are noble and pure and also feisty and primal in a way. Being in essence of fire, they have passion, enthusiasm and vitality, but they also seek battle, fights and war. They strive to prove themselves and excite others to combat. Maybe this is why they allied with the dwarves and their feisty nature. There are also rumors that these maiden spirits, sort out the heroic dead of any race and help them transcend to the realm of Gods.

A: Immune to Fire: Fire Magic spells cannot harm this creature.
A: Cremation: The Fire Spirit turns into a gigantic fire-storm when destroyed dealing X damage to all adjacent stacks.
A(U): Flame shield: At the end of the turn, creatures standing next to Exalted Valkyrie suffer X fire damage.
A(U): Incorporeal: This unit has an x% chance to be hit by enemy melee attacks.

T7 Fire Giant / Muspell (Walker/melee) There are many types of Giants that roam Inolin, as many as there are Dragons. And most Giants have a natural hatred for Dragons and an innate admiration of gold and wealth. Fire Giants are referred to as the sons and daughters of Fire and they can be found in Volcanoes. The mutual interests between them and the dwarves have given rise to a very strong and mutual alliance between the two. Dwarves respect the flame and the Giants respect the dwarven crafts. Fire Giants have even managed after ages of conflict to reach an understanding with their nemesis, the Frost Dragons.

A: Immune to Fire: Fire Magic spells cannot harm this creature.
A: Flamestrike (Activated): Once per combat this creature can attack any selected enemy on the field dealing it 20% more damage and subjecting it to "Mark of Fire", which makes the unit more vulnerable to fire for 2 turns
A(U): Flame Sweep: Attacking an enemy, this creature has a chance to produce a fire wave dealing physical damage to 3x3 area.

T7 Ice Dragon/Frost Dragon (Flier/melee) Once Ice Dragons were in constant combat with the Fire Giants for supremacy, until they realized that the conflict neither helped either side nor had it any great consequence but only caused harm. So, they formed an alliance that both sides will aid each other in times of need. Ice dragons watch over their territories from the sky and sea while Fire Giants walk the earth and underground. Ice Dragons or blue dragons can fly but also swim and walk the earth, although they prefer to be in the air or the water most of the time. It is said that the balance between the frost of these dragons and the Fire giants is what keeps the volcanoes in check and not erupting.

A: Ice body: Any creature standing next to Ice dragon suffers lowered defence and initiative and movement.
A: Water Resistance: Water based spells are less effective against this unit.
A(U): Freezing breath: The Ice Dragons melee attack will freeze the target creature and damage any units adjacent to it. (activated ability)
A (U): Icy Shards (Activated) Once per combat this unit is able to shoot icicles from its body in all directions causing to the first unit in range on each direction damage equal to &#188; of its normal attack. If Yetis are present in the army, their ranged attacks become increased by +x% for 2 turns.

Info: The underwater realm of the Merfolk, known as Nagas and Tritons and also the other monsters of the ocean that has been long forgotten by many except the sailors and pirates. Away from the matters of the dry lands above, the merfolk have been enjoying their solitude and minded their own business. Merfolk communicate with each other with telepathy, sometimes acting as one mind while keeping each their individuality. Being almost unable to lie, have made these people blunt, even offensive to some, but for their society, it has eliminated the ideas of betrayal and discord. Not that there are no conflicts and feuds, but they are out in the open just as they form and thus are resolved fast and quickly.
Their society is heavily based on their ability to be in constant communication with each other. This creates some form of a democracy which is supervised by one leading figure. This authority figure is not entirely a monarch, but more like the authority that evaluates and officializes the final verdict or takes the decisions when the people cannot decide. As such he/she is a person of great honor and respect because he takes the weight of the decision with him and sometimes it may even lead to his/her death.
Nagas and Tritons are very adept in magic dealing with water which is their element but also with Air magic, as they have learned to harness it so that they can survive in the deepest places of the oceans where air is few and scarce. Another benefit of the air magic they have mastered is that when outside the water, they can levitate so that they can move freely like any land walker and without hindrance. These levitation magic can also be used to other sea creatures so that they can fight without hindrance.
In battle, merfolk are quite religious, so much so that it is a religious ceremony that their armies divine the will of their God and Goddess and then devise the best strategy and tactics when they go to combat. The less losses a fight has, the more favor they have from their Gods, and as such, the more their society grows. This is not merely a religious thing though, because when someone dies, they can feel its death through their telepathy. On the other hand, feeling death so many times has also made them immune to the fear of Death and the Death Lord himself&#8230;

Religion: Nagas and the other denizens of the oceanic floor worship the mysterious young God of Knowledge, Secrets and Remembrance. This God holds many secrets and very few are known about him. He is called the younger one, because he is the son of the Life bearer and the God of Gateways and the only known born child among Gods. He takes aspects from his parents, such as the notion of change and evolution but more on a more esoteric meaning, like the change of an era, of an idea, of a thought process, of a personality. He is also the one to acquire knowledge, both from adventures but also from knowing the two extremes of one situation. Merfolk, know the extremes from the calm sea and the thundering maelstrom, they know the flowing lake and the cascading waterfalls. True knowledge can be found in the balance and this is what this God presides, balance in all things and from all things.
Merfolk are also known to worship the Life bearer, but a darker version of her rather than the Sylvan people. In their mind, the Life bearer is a Goddess that gives life and preserves it but only if one can fight for it and keep it. She will favor all that fend for themselves and protect others but will withhold the favor over those that march to their death and make hasty decisions.

T1 Jellyfish / Kurage (walker/melee) Although slow moving and generally driven purely by instinct or just floating in the ocean, these monsters are abundant in the sea, can grow to tremendous size and are poisonous, some of them even deadly. As such, they can be extremely useful in slowing enemies down, or making them unable to move when the main Naga force attacks. One can try to avoid them but their predator move if it can be so called, is their ability to instantly shoot their tentacles to approaching enemies poisoning them.

A: Poison Body: Each time this unit attacks an enemy or an enemy attacks it, it may become poisoned and be unable to retaliate until the end of turn. All passives and abilities about retaliation are disabled until end of turn
A (U): Tentacle Strike: This unit has a chance to poison any enemy unit passing next to it causing it to loose its retaliation until the end of turn.

T1 Kappa / Kappa Shoya (Walker/melee) This turtle like beasts are shore dwellers but they spent a great amount of time swimming both in the sea as well as lakes. Some say that they manage to find underground caves that connect the great lakes of Inolin with the sea and thus they manage to move freely between them. They are rarely aggressive, they are slow moving on land but can exhibit quite the speed in water. As far as we know there are many kinds of kappas, some freshwater only, others saltwater only and some range between the two. Their hard turtle shell allows them to be protected by attacks and especially arrows, but hinders their speed. Some say that they might be water spirits of the lower order and thus much more material than others, but even though kappas require water in order to live, no other water manipulation has been observed by them.

A: Hard Shell: Attack from behind or from the sides of this unit have decreased power by X%. Ranged attacks are also X% less efficient.
A(U): Leap: A leaping attack, dealing normal attack damage to target increased by X% for each square jumped. Target has to be in a direct line to the Kappa. This attack cannot be retaliated. Minimum range: 2. Maximum range: one and a half times twice the Kappa's Movement (Current). (Activated)

T2 Sharkman (walker/melee) - (Adaro (walker/ranged) / Samebito (walker/melee)) Maybe the name is misleading, because no man has transformed into a shark or vice-versa. Sharkmen as so called because of this specific species of sharks, that due to magic have evolved faster than the rest and exhibit humanlike characteristics and behavior. They are as smart as the average human but also have the collective mind at their disposal where all merfolk communicate telepathically. Sharkmen and their variations Adaro and Samebito have developed different ways of fighting. The more sharklike samebito use their brute force in combat while the more humanlike Adaro use mighty harpoons to attack the enemies from afar. Sharkmen in general hold villages underwater and some are even known to have trading venues with other races above shore. They are able to speak the shore languages but very hoarsely and usually are hard to understand.

A: Ferocious Wound: The strike of the Sharkman decreases the movement range of the unit it attacks by X for 2 turns
A(U): Immobilize (Samebito): This unit is able to make the enemy unable to move or retaliate for one turn.
A(U): Double Strike (Adaro): This unit is able to shoot two times at two different targets.

T3 Eel / Abaia (Flying/Melee) The Giant Eels of the Abyss and their more dangerous cousens the Abaia can grow to great lenghts. They are vast swimmers and some species can even discharge electricity in order to immobilize their prey or attacker. Their jaws are also very powerful and can open wounds to the enemy they attack. Species that can grow to long lengths can even wrap around their enemies in order to immobilize them and damage them over time. Eels and Abaia are mostly used as guards, hiding within rocks and observing for long periods of time while they camouflage themselves as part of the scenery. When outside of water, the Naga will enchant these eels with levitation magic and they will move in the air as if they swim in water, thus not losing their mobility.

A: Rend - The attack of this unit opens wounds that bleed out causing the enemy to deal less damage.
A (U): Discharge: This unit has a chance to cause lightning damage each time it attacks. If this ability triggers, each other unit attacking this unit this turn will also be dealt lightning damage.
A (U - Activated): Wrap: This unit is able to make the enemy unit in front of it immobilized for as long as this unit does not move.

T3 Agloolik / Akhlut (walker/melee) Known for their footprints that resemble a dog or a wolf leading to the ocean, these beasts/spirits have a dual nature. For many purposes they resemble the aspect of the Goddess that the merfolk worship. Legend says that an Akhlut will come offshore to hunt and kill in order to eat. Legend goes as far as to say that after killing an intelligent being the Akhlut will take the form of an Agloolik. In this state, the Agloolik will go back to the ocean and follow ships until it can manage to help someone in danger in the sea. Although not verified, this is what keeps fishermen and sailors hope in dangerous times, when they see Agloolik swimming by their ships.

A: Protect - If this unit is standing next to an allied unit and the allied unit is dealt damage, either by attack or by retaliation, this unit will attack the enemy stack as well.
A (U): Unleash - This unit gets stronger (attack and defence) every time an allied unit next to it gets damaged. The effect lasts until end of combat. The effects of the buff depends on the damage taken and the units killed in that stack by that damage.

T4 Gorgon (walker/melee) - Lamia (Walker/Magic shooter/Spellcaster) / Medusa (Walker/Shooter) Among the Merfolk, the more abundant races are the Nagas and the Tritons. One of the Nagas subraces are called Gorgons. Gorgons have the unique trait of living snakes instead of hair. It is said that once all tritons, mermaids and Nagas were one race but for some reason, they have diversified. Gorgons prefer to live in caves near lakes or sea, or even in underground caverns that have connections to the ocean. Some of them are beautiful while others are more reptilian. None of the two are considered ugly among their people, only the other races consider the distinction. Gorgons have the unique ability of petrifying their enemies. Lamias on the other hand are more prone to use magical spells and seduction while Medusas prefer to use their gaze to attack their enemies from afar.

A: Stone Gaze : When this unit attacks in melee it can cause the enemy to petrify, losing a turn. If the unit is attacked while petrified it will be dealt critical damage.
A(U): Caster (Lamia): This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A(U): Spellbook (Lamia): Inner Fire, Circle of Winter
A(U) Seduction (Lamia): When an enemy approaches this unit there is X% chance it will stop in front of it and not attack. This ability has less chance against beast units.
A(U): Stone Gaze II (Medusa): Same as stone gaze but this ability works as a ranged ability and will cause damage to the enemy as well as a chance to be petrified for two turns. Chances of petrification lower as the tier of the unit increases. (Activated - 2 turns cooldown)
A(U): No Range Penalty (Medusa): Shooter has no penalty for damage inflicted during ranged attack, provided the range is over half the arena.

T5 Coral Monster / Living Reef (Walker/melee/tank) This monsters are in reality aquatic life forms that consist of corals, sponges and other benthic lifeforms and have taken a more symbiotic lifestyle. They are not alive in the common sense but respond to stimuli and other sonar frequencies that are emitted by the Naga. It is mostly used as a shield wall rather than an offensive force and also as a healing and rejuvenating unit as the life-forms that are part of it can purify water and other maladies.

A: Cleansing Aura: All allied units around this unit are cured from any negative effect.
A(U): Living Shelter: All allied units around this unit get a bonus of +x defence where X is calculated by the hero level and defence as well as the number of units in the stack.

T5 Triton / Trident master (Walker/melee) Tritons are merfolk that are considered the male counterparts of mermaids. Contrary to the mermaids though that prefer to sing and get tanned by the sun, Tritons prefer the lower sands of the ocean bed, honing their military skills. They work in unison and in perfect sync, they are fast, agile and swift, attacking fast, retreating and attacking again. As warriors, they excel in water but having no legs may hinder them on shore. Levitation magic helps them retain some of their mobility but they are not so fast, neither can they train in such circumstances easily. Nonetheless, they are quite powerful to face against in any situation.

A: Strike and Return: This unit will strike and return to its starting point without the enemy being able to retaliate.
A(U): Double strike - This unit is able to attack twice without getting any retaliation during critical strike.

T6 Cecaelia / Cecaelia Enchantress (Walker/Spellcaster) Cecaelias are born with naturally occurring strong magical energy. Why they are born with the lower half of an octopus is unknown but, when such a child is born, it is given to the sisterhood of Cecaelias to be raised with the knowledge of the mystical. As such, they grow to be powerful magic users, on par with the greatest of wizards. Although contrary to the wizards they are devoted to their people, aiding them with the much needed levitation spells and air creating in the deepest parts of the ocean. The Enchantress is a more militant class of these spellcasters, able to manipulate water and air in order to create illusions of sorts to disorient and hinder their enemies.

A: Caster :This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook : Cecaelia - (Gust of Wind, Shadow Image, Liquid Membrane), Cecaelia Enchantress - Cecaelias spells + (Storm Arrows, Lightning Reflexes)
A(U): Tidal Wave: This unit calls a Tidal Wave to the combat map. All enemy small sized creatures are pushed back by two squares. (Activated, Once per combat).

T6 Giant Crab / Karkinos (Walker/melee) In the ocean there are Crabs of many sizes. Those living near the towns of the merfolk though tend to grow exceptionally big because of the abundance of air. It has been observed that the closer to a Merfolk town, the bigger the crabs will get. One specific species called Karkinos in some rare occasions has the capacity to grow to such sizes that could even take on giants. Crabs have learnt to coexist with merfolk and will not destroy their habitats. Merfolk from their end will keep them fed when the food source is scarce and in general try to keep them well. In consequence, these giant crabs act as silent sentinels that protect their benefactors.

A: Sweep: This unit is able to attack all enemies in front of it.
A: Hard Shell: Attack from behind or from the sides of this unit have decreased power by X%. Ranged attacks are also X% less efficient.
A(U): Attuned to Water: This unit has immunity to water based spells. Positive water based spells efficiency is increased when cast on this unit.

T7 Sea Serpent / Leviathan (Flier/melee) Called the dragons of the sea, these reptiles are not true dragons but they are the biggest creatures the ocean can provide. Long, with wings like fins, extremely fast and able to even glide outside of water, they are called the kings of the seas. A single leviathan can easily twist around the larger known ship at least 4 times and still has length to show. Also, they can create powerful gusts of wind that push everything back. If a leviathan doesn&#8217;t want you to get near you, you shall not.

A: Gust of Wind: This unit is able to create powerful wind that pushes everything back, even large units.
A: Swift: This unit always acts first.
A (U): Tsunami: This unit calls a Tsunami to the combat map. All enemy creatures are pushed back by two squares and damaged with water damage. (Activated, Once per combat).

T7 Kraken/Abyssal Kraken (Walker/melee) Krakens are gigantic monsters of the abyss with tentacles. They lurk in the deepest crevices of the ocean floor and only appear to hunt. They can camouflage their color so that they can be identified only when it is too late and also, they are very durable and have tremendous regenerative skills. They are blind, as living in the dark has made them have no use of this sense. In contrast they have other means to understand their surroundings. Their body is also quite soft in places and very hard in other, making them quite immune to any air spell or even water spells.

A: Camouflage: If this unit is in "wait" (the player uses the wait option in combat) it will become invisible to the enemy until an enemy unit passes next to it.
A: Blind: The creature is naturally blind and therefore immune to blindness and magical effects relying on sight.
A(U): Livid: The Abyssal Kraken will become livid when severely injured (below X% Health) and acts one additional time each turn for the rest of combat. Cannot be dispelled.

While reading about this faction, why not listen to this possible town theme to help you get get a better feel of it? Temple Possible Theme

Info: The citizens of Temple are very religious, proud and resolute people. The deep belief in the Sun god and to keeping the shadow god locked into his prison is something that connects and bonds everybody, the priests and the common people. There is no ruler in Temple but there is the council of five; five high priests who are the descendants of those priests whom once manifested the sun god himself. These priests make all the important decisions. Priests are the “servants” of the public, they are the teachers, mathematicians, astrologers and they do not go to army. A child is chosen as either a warrior or a priest by the sign of his/her stars during birth. Priests and warriors have deep knowledge on how the stars influence the lives of the living. Warriors are heavily doctrinated from a very young age in the ways of religion. They become totem warriors, channeling the power of archetypal animals like the jaguar to help them enhance their strength and capabilities. In Temple priests are able to have families and that’s something that makes them relatable to the people and both males and females can be priests as there is no discrimination between genders; in the eyes of the Sun everybody is qual . In the center of every town there is big Sun temple, around it live the priests with their families and then the common people. The temple is the heart of the city where people come to listen to priests and make offerings and sacrifices. There is custom of human sacrifice held for many ages and because of these bloody sacrifices, mainly of war prisoners and slaves, the people of temple are perceived as brutals and savages to other factions. They are feared, considered evil, without mercy and kindness and are hated by many. That is so because other factions don’t know the reason behind it. They believe their life mission is to make sure the shadow God won’t be released and in doing those sacrifices, the gates of his prison remain closed.

Religion: Every child and every adult in the Temple nation knows the famous story how the Sun god fought the Moon god, also known as the shadow god. It is believed that in the ancient times there was a war between sun and moon, it was a battle between light and dark, day vs. night. Many believe that it was very brutal and debilitating fight that lasted for ages without either side gaining ground. With the last ounce of his strength, the Sun god dealt the final blow and won but with great cost. The Sun God locked the shadow God inside a prison under the biggest temple that was build in his name. He appointed five of his most loyal priests, that helped build the prison, and told them that he was very weak and had to rest and that it was up to them now to protect the gate that keeps the shadow locked. He then vanished and was never seen again. This is the story that the priests say, nobody knows if it is true but the high priests are very respected and nobody ever questioned this story. To keep the shadow locked priests make sacrifices usually of beer, food, gold, animals but sometimes even of people. It is the sacrifice of blood, usually of war prisoners or slaves, that is considered the most potent. Citizens of Temple are very rarely ever sacrificed as it is forbidden. During the sun eclipses, when the gate of the Shadow Gods’ prison is the most unstable one of five high priests has to sacrifice himself. This is the most powerful sacrifice because in their blood runs the pact of the original priests who had contact with the sun god himself. This sacrifice always works and makes the gate more stable again.
Among all the Gods, the Sun god is the most important deity for the people of Temple, for them he is the source of life and because of his light they are able to grow crops like corn and other grains, which a lot of times helped them survive through the tough times. Also, he is the one that sacrificed himself to help the living and all of creation, thus, he is considered the noble King of all the Gods.

T1 Anopheles / Blightspawn (Flier/melee) Jungles with their high temperature and moisture, make the perfect place for many insects to thrive. Especially mosquito like creatures that grow to large sizes and pose a real threat to all other creatures when they attack in swarms, leaving everything drained.

A: Sting: The unit stung by Blightspawn have lowered defence and speed by X for 2 turns.
A (U): Swarm: If two or more stacks of this creature are next to an enemy stack, that stack cannot move.

T1 Carnivorous Plant / Jungle Predator (Walker/shooter) Some plants in Inolin are carnivorous. While many are stationary and rely on aromas and colours to attract prey, these predators are able to move by unearthing their roots and shooting paralyzing spores at enemies (which is also a way to reproduce once they reach maturity). Temple takes their seeds and plants them in important locations thus creating “forests” of such plants, making a perfect living trap.

A: Poisonous seeds: The Carnivorous plant shoots 3 poisonous seeds at random on the battlefield that have X% chance to paralyze any small enemy stepping on them.
A(U): Seedling: The Jungle predator shoots the seeds in specific places on the battlefield. If after three turns no unit has stepped on them, a new carnivorous plant grows. The new stack is X% of the original stack. (activated ability - once per battle)

T2 Smoke spirit / Shadowspawn (Flier/melee) Each person contains inside him parts of light and parts of shadow. During sacrifices or during war expeditions and raids, when a person is about to die, through the ritual of the smoking mirror, the priests have learned how to absorb amounts of the locked shadow and convert them into this spirits. It is also said that the same ritual can be achieved by drawing out, small amounts of the locked Shadow God, or by absorbing the shadow that forms inside a warrior after a big battle.

A: Incorporeal - This creature is incorporeal so any non-magical attack against it has only X% chance of inflicting damage.
A: Inner Shadow: Upon attacking this unit has a small chance to make the enemy target go Berserk.
A(U): Dark mirror: Some of the melee damage caused to the shadowspawn are reflected to a random nearby enemy.

T2 Raptor / Feathersaur (Walker/melee) Considered among the oldest creatures to roam Inolin, the raptors and feathersaurs, have managed to survive only in the jungles. They can grow up to the size of the average human and as they grow older feathers start to cover their bodies sometimes allowing them to glide as they jump. Their true power though lies in their speed and their ability to hunt in packs.

A: Strike and Return: After attack creature goes back to its place.
A(U): Swift Bite: Each time this stack attacks it has a X% chance to attack twice.

T3 Totem warrior - (Jaguar Warrior / Eagle Hunter) (Walker/melee) A proud civilization of hunters. Their whole lives revolve around perfecting their hunting skills and gathering skills. There is no distinction between males and females and their Tiger lineage is strong giving them speed, fiercing power and pride. To become a true warrior according to Temple rule, one must pass through the training of many aspects, one of the harder ones is the Hunter training of the Werejaguars.

A: Predating: At the beginning of the combat an enemy is marked at random as the target of this unit. When this unit attacks that target it gets bonus damage.
A: War concentration: The totem Warrior is immune to harmful Mind Influence and effects decreasing its Morale.
A(U): Rend Eagle Hunter: The attack of this unit opens wounds that bleed out causing the enemy to deal less damage.
A(U): Feral Charge (Jaguar warrior): The Jaguar warrior charges enemy and dealing his normal attack damage. This attack cannot be retaliated (activated ability).

T4 Ahuizotl / Alpha Ahuizotl (Walker/melee) It is said that Ahuizotl lives near the water, small ponds, watery caverns or in the depths of lakes. For some people it resembles a big dog for others it looks more like an otter. It has dark and very smooth, like rubber, waterproof fur and at the end of it’s long tail it has an additional hand. Ahuizotl uses the hand to snatch a prey, dragging the victim into the depths of water to drown them. Ahuizotl is feared by many because of its liking to human flesh, especially eyes, teeth and nails.

A: Grab: This creature is able to grab enemy units (only applies to the small ones) from two tiles away from ahuizotl and deal damage.
A: Nimble: The creature's Defense is increased when fighting against Large creatures.
A(U): Evasive: Whenever ahuizotl is dealt damage in melee it has a X% chance to move away avoiding the damage.

T4 Nue / Mystical Nue (Walker/melee) It is said that these baboons are some kind of protectors. They can be seen gathering in packs, on trees near places of importance. Their shadow manes tie them to the shadow God in some way, but they are not malevolent or evil. Their very nature is a mystery and many times they have appeared out of nowhere to help Temple defend their pyramids. Some Priests talk about how sometimes the shadow can be a servant of the light.

A: Weakening attack - The Nue’s attacks reduce the target’s Damage by X% for 3 turns
A: Shadowfall - The attack of this unit has a chance to create a shadow clone of the target enemy. The stack number of this unit depends on the spellpower and attack of the hero and leaves the battlefield at the end of turn. If it is attacked, it also disappears.
A(U): Shadowmane - This unit is dealt reduced damage from all harming spells.

T5 Blood Priest -(Ritualist / Spirit Caller)(Walker/spellcaster) It takes courage to stain your hands with blood. To stare as the life goes from a living person, holding the mirror and see it darken from the shadows it captures. It takes strength to maintain a position firm between the physical world and the spirit world. But still they manage. They kill because they must, they endure because it is their duty. They go on because if they don’t everything will fall to ruin.

A: Caster :This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook : Blood Priest - (Curse, Bless), Ritualist - Blood Priest spells + (Life Drain, Banish), Spirit Caller - Blood Priest spells + (Phantom Image, Pain Mirror)
A(U): Sacrificial Mark (Ritualist): One unit is marked at random at the beginning of battle. If the Ritualist stack dies within 3 turns, the marked unit is dealt damage equal to the sum of the HP of the units that were present when the stack died.
A(U): Incorporeal wrath (Spirit Caller): Each time the spirit caller is dealt damage a stack of smoke spirits appear on the battlefield. The number of units summoned depends on the total life points lost from Spirit caller.

T6 Great Totem / Sun Totem (Walker/shooter) Considered the final blessing given by the Sun God, these warriors of stone were given life by the God himself. Not many remain but more are considered to be hiding in ancient temples. They remain inanimate, radiating in the dark with a warm light but will come alive in dire needs to wreak havok upon the enemies of the sun.

A: Blinding Attack: A successful attack from this units has X% chance to blind the target. Blinded enemies have reduced chance for their attack to hit.
A(U): Sunburst: This unit unleashes energy to many directions causing damage to present enemy targets.

T6 Gorillaman / Girralon (Walker/melee) Gorillamen are seclusive tribes in the jungle. Their culture is made of families where one male and its female companions live in a specific place in the jungle a bit away from other such families. They are not many but they possess great physical strength and very high endurance. Their blood is always heated and when in battle they will not cower. Since they share the jungle with the people of Temple, they have formed an alliance of sorts during the long years of their coexistence. Girralons are even bigger, more powerful versions of Gorillman, with four incredibly strong arms that could rip a human apart.

A: Bravery: Creature always has positive morale (no less than +1).
A: Crippling Wound: In a successful attack, this creature has an additional chance of decreasing the target's Speed (-X%) and Initiative (-X%).The target is wounded for 2 turns.
A(U): Bash: At every attack creature has a chance to stun the enemy so they won't be able to retaliate and lose initiative.

T7 Quetzalcoatl / Kukulkan (Flier/melee) Considered as the emissary of the Sun God himself, the Quetzal is revered and worshipped. These mighty beings, part snakes part birds, are akin to dragons in their power and endurance, but they also posses attributes of great magical power, as every spell that would harm them would always harm those that casted it. They often nest at the top of ziggurats and this is considered a great blessing and honor, as most of these beings are ancient and wield immerse wisdom.

A: Magic Reflection: Any harmful spell targeting this unit will be reflected to a random enemy unit
A(U): Rush Dive: Once per combat this creature can perform an air attack against all the enemies in a line in the selected direction (activated ability).

T7 Balaur / Primal Balaur (Flier/melee) This creature can be described as strong, fierce and especially as terrifying. It will often nest in jungles or caves big enough to conceal it. They are rare to see because they will only appear when they hunt. The rest of the time they will sleep. With their three heads, wings, they are among the races of the dragons and they are considered the most fierce of them all. Maybe because each head has a mind of its own, in contrast with the hydra, this puts them in a foul mood most of the time. It cannot be said that Temple tamed them, but more likely, their many sacrifices to them and the fact that once they find a dwelling of this creature, they will always leave them food, makes these dragons fight to protect their supply of food.

While reading about this faction, why not listen to this possible town theme to help you get get a better feel of it? Empire Theme

Info: Build upon mountaintops standing high enough to be above clouds, the Empire is like a hidden civilization, forgotten and often attributed to legend. It is the land of demiGods and Kamis. demiGods are beings that trace their ancestry one way or another from the gods themselves. The most powerful spirits are called kamis, meaning lesser gods, an honorary title. Above all stands the God emperor, a being that lives in two places at once, the realm of gods and the realm of men. Below him, a complex caste system unfolds where many find their place in specific tasks. There are the caretakers and the warriors, the shapers and the traders. These are but a few casts that exists in Empire; everything, from the humble snail to the giant genbus have their place and role to play. The emperor's word is absolute and must be followed no matter how absurd it may sound. Below the God emperor are the 4 divine beasts: the lion, the dragon, the monkey and the tortoise. Each considered a spiritual ancestor to all living beings. Many fairy tales in Inolin revolve around these beasts.

The few that have been favored to travel to Empire, have described the place as if being in a dream. Spirits roam free, statues come alive, vibrant colors everywhere, the feeling of serenity and life booming even from stones. One does not feel cold, even though they are so high above the clouds. Animals talk with the voices of the sentient beings and to oversee them all are the Kirins. Kirins are like the hands of the Emperor. Not warriors but caretakers, peacekeepers and handlers of his will. When there are many kirins, the empire prospers, when their numbers start to decline, it means the emperor is falling from grace and becoming corrupt. Upon such states, or when empire decides to get involved in the affairs of the lands below, the place shapes and becomes as if a nightmare has taken hold and the wrath of the citizens turned warriors is but a nightmare manifest.

Religion: Mainly and above all, the people of the Empire revere their Emperor which they consider as part God. But their reverence is not attributed to his person alone, but more correctly to all the gods he represents. Empire is a place booming from spiritual energy, which allows the gods to easily manifest, and that is why, the children of the divine beasts call this place home. Demi-Gods walk the jaded paths and thus, even a humble animal or spirit in appearance may hide a high position in the realm of Gods. Thus, the Harmony philosophy was born. Employed by the monks, this is a way of life that revolves around showing the utmost respect to all around you at every given moment, thus finding peace within and without. Monks teach the way of harmony, how to maintain balance in body, spirit and mind in everyday action and even in war.

T1 Kaminari / Raiju (Walker/melee) Amongst the Warrior caste, the Kaminari are beings made of lightning usually taking the form of a big weasel when they want to materialize. They are able to fly, call down lightnings and become immaterial at will. In times of peace they are responsible for the lightning storms around the lands of Empire, but in times of war, they follow the empire's army bringing thunders and storms on their path. When Empire marches to war, “Stormy times” takes a literal meaning.

A: Incorporeal - This creature is incorporeal so any non-magical attack against it has only X% chance of inflicting damage
A(U): Electric shock: Every time enemy creature attacks this unit, it gets X lightning damage.

T1 Terracotta Guard / Terracotta Warrior (Walker/melee) Some spirits in Empire have tasted the power of wrath and bloodshed and because of that they cannot easily revert back to the path of harmony. Unfortunate as that can be, not all of them can deny the temptation of power. Through the cleansing rites Harmonists try to soothe their temper and bring back peace into their existence. For some spirits it works but for for others not so much and in that case the only way a Harmonist can extinguish the wrath and nightmare from the spirit is to help them go to sleep. Terracotta Guards are sealing vessels, holding spirits that cannot quench the need to kill and to destroy. These spirits are left to sleep in these statues until needed.

A: Stand still: This creature cannot be pushed back or moved, in any kind of way by other creatures abilities. It doesn’t have any effect on Terracotta Guards.
A(U): Enraged: This creature's Attack increases during combat when any stack of friendly units dies

T2 Snow Maiden / Yukki-Onna (Walker/shooter) Yukki-Onna’s are commonly referred as Mistresses of the snow because they are very tall and very beautiful. They have inhumanly pale skin, almost looking transparent which makes them blend with the surrounding snow and it is hard to spot her even if you want to. Yukki-Onna’s usually appear during snowy nights on mountaintops and also below the cities of Empire but very rarely in the icy landscapes of Fortress. Don’t try looking for her footsteps because she doesn’t leave any, some say she hovers above the snow and some say she doesn’t even have legs. They can be both helpful, but also deadly. Some help save travellers out of snowstorms while others lead them to be lost and eventually die.

A: Frozen touch: The Yuki-Onna's attack decreases target's Initiative and defence by X for 1 turn.
A(U): Snowstorm: Once per combat Yukki-Onna can create a snowstorm on a 3x3 tiles area, every creature affected by it has its movement decreased to 1 and has x% to loose its turn.

T2 Spirit Fox / Kitsune (Teleporter/melee) These are very respected spirit animals in Empire, both for their knowledge and because of their immerse magical powers. Spirit foxes can travel easily through the spirit and the material world, allowing them to teleport to the places where others can’t go. For all the power they hold, it takes ages to mature enough in order to use it. As they get wiser and more powerful, more tails grow out until they become the White nine-tailed fox spirits, the strongest of their kind. They are very rare and in Empire, they are like sages, able to live longer than most beins.

A: Magical Outburst: When this unit attacks, the player is given a choice of two random spells to choose. The chosen spell is cast on the target of this unit as the unit attacks.
A(U): Adviser: When Kitsune is present on the battlefield, Hero’s knowledge is increased by X points.

T3 Tengu - (Daitengu [Flier/melee] / Karasu Tengu [Flier/shooter]) Amongst the Warrior caste, they are the agile fighters that will attack from the sky and still be like shadows. It is said that the art of the sword originates from these beings and that one taught the fighting arts from a Tengu will show a prowess that only a handful can demonstrate. For all their prowess though, their bodies are rather fragile and thus, they do not make it to the higher ranks of the Empire’s military ranks.

A: Weapon mastery: The weapon artifact of the hero also affects this unit's attributes. It’s magic power or Might adds to the attack of the unit.
A: Stealth (Daitengu): This unit is invisible to the enemy until it attacks or if an enemy unit passes next to it. If an enemy unit passes next to it, it attacks preemptively.
A: Poison Darts (Karasu Tengu): This unit shoots darts with poison. In each combat the poison has different effects, ranging from immobilizing the enemy to reducing its general status.

T4 Monk / Harmonist (Walker/shooter/spellcaster) From all the lands of Inolin, only a handful is picked to become Monks and eventually Harmonists. They are taught the mastery of the body from tengus and the secret arts from the Kitsunes, making them powerful and wise but also witness to how all things are in constant harmony. Understanding the laws and nature of what brings everything into equilibrium gives them tremendous powers.

A: Spirit Link: This unit is able to connect with an allied unit. When the allied unit or this unit is dealt damage, receives a positive buff or gets healed, the other one receives it or takes the damage as well.
A: Caster :This creature can use a set of magical spells similar to those cast by heroes.
A: Spellbook : Monk - (Cleansing, Regeneration, Phantom Forces), Harmonist - Monk spells + (Magical Immunity)
A(U): Perfect Harmony: Each time this unit attacks or retaliates, there is an X% chance its attack and defence status matches the enemy.

T4 Bai Hu / Byakko (Flier/melee) Ranking just below the 4 divine beings, these creatures are associated with absolute virtue. They represent all attributes that are considered good and help with the maturity and spiritual ascension of every living being. They are very rare but their numbers increase when the Emperor is just and virtuous.

A: Agility - Up to the next turn, this creature gains a +2 Defense bonus for every tile it flies.
A(U): Unsullied: This creature is not affected by negative spells or abilities decreasing stats.

T5 Kirin - (Quilin/Elder Kirin) (Walker/melee) The grant advisers of the Empire, can be present in many places, overseeing that everything goes according to the Emperor's will. When there is peace, they assume the form of the Kirin, a state of balance and as such, they inspire others to do their best and are a reminder that the emperor is also doing his best for his people. The Elder Kirins and Quilins are different forms that these beings take to portray the state of the empire. When there is injustice in the world but the emperor is just, they take the form of the Quilins, taking the element of Ice, becoming strict, unbend and cold while when the empire is in a state of war, they reflect that by becoming fiery Elder Kirins, overseers and trainers of the troops, with high focus on military discipline.

A: Commanding presence: The presence of this unit in the battlefield increases the morale of all units close to it by x every turn until they have good morale. Every successful critical attack this unit makes, also increases the luck of other units next to it, until they perform a critical attack. This ability does not stack.
A(U): Area of Frost (Quillin): While this unit walks on the battlefield it leaves behind a trail of Icy Mist. Every enemy unit passing through it, will have its movement and morale decreased by X. There is also a chance that living small units will lose their turn.
A(U): Path of War (Elder Kirin): Every unit present is the army that has lower attack than the Elder Kirin will have its attack stat boosted every turn until it matches the attack of the Elder Kirin. If the elder Kirin dies, this effect dissolves. The rate of increase depends on heroes level and number of Elder Kirins present.

T6 Monkey Lord / Sun Wukong (Walker/melee) Among the divine beings, the Monkey Lords are the tricksters, revels and are associated with curiosity. But, mistake them not for fools, for they are well versed in many trades. Among them the arts of war. They indeed make for great tacticians, devising plans that will shake the enemy's way of thought and also, their revels after a won battles, while soaked in blood, will create fear even in the bravest men.

A: Nimble: The creature's Defense is increased when fighting against Large creatures.
A: Maneuver: If an enemy unit is next to Monkey Lord while another enemy is about to deal him damage, the Monkey Lord will change place with the enemy unit standing next to him and this unit will instead receive the damage. This applies only if there is enough space for the unit to be moved to the position of the Monkey Lord.
A(U): Jump: Sun Wukong can jump over enemy creature, deal X% stronger attack and the enemy unit cannot retaliate. (Activated ability)

T6 Genbu / Dragon turtle (Walker/melee) They are called the patient ones, the everlasting, the wise. Genbus may look like giant turtles, but they are much much more. One could say that they are the earth itself. They are the foundations of civilization and it is said that there is a primal genbu for each civilization in Inolin. Aside from myths though, these gargantuan beings, can withstand many blows, and although slow, the more damage they receive the stronger they get, the more the battle wages on, the more powerful they get.

A: Excellent defense: When this creature uses Defend command, it’s defence is increased by X% more than other units.
A(U): Silent Force: Each battle turn will increase this unit's stats by +x. X depends on the number of the units stack and the level of the hero.

T7 Shenlong / Tianlong (Flier/melee) The dragons found in Empire are very unique because even though they do not have wings they can fly and have serpent like body. These divine dragons are among the 4 divine beings and are protectors of the skies and spirits of “heaven”, the realm of all Kamis. They are very important to the citizens of Empire because their agricultural life depends on them as they govern the rain, wind, clouds and even temperature. If even one dragon is not in good mood or angry or sometimes neglected then he can easily create storms, floods or even stop the rain from forming and thus creating droughts in the lands of Empire and in all other lands.

A: Regeneration: This unit will restore some of its health each turn
A: Airpush: When this unit is critically hit by another unit, it will unleash a gust of wind around it, sending all units 1-3 tiles back if able.
A(U): Zen: Creatures around Shenlong on area 6x6 tiles are affected by Zen, it increases defence and health of friendly creatures by X%.

T7 Shisa / Komainu (Walker/melee) Standing tall as a giant or titan, made of stone or different forms of metals and ornate with gemstones, these statues guard the palace of the God-Emperor. They were created a very long time ago, based on the knowledge given by the gods themselves. It is said, that the great Lion Kamis, powerful and revered beings of the spirit realm, the greatest of the divine beings and also the best generals of Empire in times of war, can’t leave the spirit world for too long without a host. Thus, they inhabit these statues in order to stay in the land of Inolin much longer. Some say after the Lion Kamis takes over the statue, it turns into a living being and looks like the Kamis but others say the spirits use the statue as a puppet to move. Aside from its appearance, it takes whole armies to even try to bring one of them down.

A(U): Unlimited Retaliation: Shisa retaliates unlimited amount of times.
A(U): Stampede: While moving, this unit will damage any small units along its path.

Okay guys, this is awesome! You have really outdone yourself this time, and I do look forward to see where this is going!
Although, my current question is what do you plan to do with this? Honestly at some point I doubt that officially this would be used (although it isn't impossible). However, it would be a shame to just make it go to waste like that.
If possible, think we could make a game with this ourselves..? It might be a bit tough, but if we can gather enough people I beleive we can do it. Of course that's just a random idea...

Anyway, if you need me to design anything, my pencíl and paper is at your service.

Finally, some project i'm interested in! (And that is impressive, as i'm a narcissist and not easily pleased or impressed by others.)

This looks promising, but could go totally wrong, if you put the Black Dragon in the Dungeon town, i'm finished with it, and the same Unicorn in the sylvan is also too much of the same, study Unicorns on internet/google and see that Karkadanns, Shadhavar, Abada and Indrik's are far more interesting than the same old white little pony unicorns, put something more interesting in Sylvan, something less overused and nostalgic. I think the Brazilian Anhanga (in its stag form) is very interesting in Sylvan towns, and looks much better than the Stags that are currently used.
An Unicorn like the karkadann in the desert town is awesome.

Same goes with Giants, Mermaids and Sea Serpents, don't want to see those groupname monsters in the project, in my eyes such names are amature.

But anyway i'm curious at the new creatures you are gonna use, and Nidhogg is SO much better fit for an underground town than the boring D&D black dragon. (HINT) snow nostalgic feelings, use something new for a change, this isn't the old homm or Ashan anyway so use your mind and imagination.

Well, Black Dragons, Unicorns etc are returning, but with newer additions as well. An earth wurm might appear as dungeons second tier 7 unit and yes, a water based faction is coming.

The point of this is to keep alive the legacy of Heroes and that means to continue having some of the units that most fans love. But at the same time, having a hybrid tier system with a cross between normal heroes games (7 tiers), Heroes IV system (choice between 2 units), and finally alternative upgrades (heroes V TotE) is that you can also add many new units. So yeah, surprises will come. Also, if you can post in your replies lists of units with pictures that you would like to appear, we will have a richer pool from which to draw units.

OK first of all I want to recommend you both for a +QP because you obviously put a lot of time and effort into this.

BUT, I see a major problem, that is visually. The designs you choose are very similar to Ashan and therefore Inolin would result with an Ashan feel, even if the lore has nothing to do with. At least to me. Is the same problem as with your Minastir's lineups for HVIII thread, you save us the worst designs Ubilol could come up with, but what is being proposed in terms of art direction in creatures design does not go above average and/or generic, IMO.

Not to mention you even take some Ubi artworks directly, you seriously think you can call a Vampire with sexy long hair Nosferatu?

Naturalist creature for your Bastion town appealed to me more than this in example.

My point is, if you create a new world, provide a new type of visuals.

Galaadle, there are other types of vampires, they doesn't have to use the Nosferatu. Though, reading the desription it makes perfect sense... If there was alternative upgrades. (and yes, I still want female vampires, there are almost endless possibillities laying unexploited.)
But galaadle, one little problem with the visual style you propose is how freaking hard it is to find good pictures in that style. Beside, honestly how is it so much different than the old games, if I may ask.

Anyway, it looks good, although personally I would replace either the zombie or mummy with a ghoul/draugr creature, Just because it is more interesting than the zombie or more fitting with the rest than the mummy.

Ok, let's address some things:
1. In response to Raksasha: While we want to enrich the franchise with more mythological units, at some times it is hard either because of the Faction and its theme, or because of the unit roles, or because the unit cannot be placed within the general feel of the faction. But visual style is of the last things we consider.
2. Keep in mind that the lineups and the tiers are so made that across all Factions there is a balanced diversity between all tiers. What i mean is that for all the faction we have made so far and are working on, we take care to have all unit roles (damage dealer, teleporter or flyer, ranged or spellcaster etc), so sometimes we need a very specific kind of creature to fill a specific spot. We try to avoid having the same motifs as heroes VII where all factions have two flyer or teleporter and two ranged units. We try to be more diverse in both Faction lineup and across all faction lineups.
3. In response to both Medic and Raksasha: Reading the above you can understand also that a whole lift of the units cannot happen. Our aim is to go back to the roots and that means that some units must remain unchanged. Black Dragons, Vampires, Cavaliers etc are "iconic" or have specific roles. BUT! that doesn't mean that there is no room for new and unique abilities and creatures. We have included Spriggans, Loas, Wurms, Ammit and more in the lineups. That's the good thing about having something close to Heroes IV style and alternate upgrades. I mean, Nosferatu will not be a recolored version of the Vampire, neither will the Vampire Lord
4.At Medic: close enough to your list but not entirely
5.In responce to Galaad: If the above did not answer your questions, keep to the descriptions and abilities in the text and help us improve them or make them more unique. The art we present is merely informative and not definite. And this is approximately how we want the Nosferatu to look in the game. Or maybe more feral but we didn't find any good pics for that...

Galaad said:
BUT, I see a major problem, that is visually. The designs you choose are very similar to Ashan and therefore Inolin would result with an Ashan feel, even if the lore has nothing to do with. At least to me. Is the same problem as with your Minastir's lineups for HVIII thread, you save us the worst designs Ubilol could come up with, but what is being proposed in terms of art direction in creatures design does not go above average and/or generic, IMO.

Not to mention you even take some Ubi artworks directly, you seriously think you can call a Vampire with sexy long hair Nosferatu?

I hope that what Articun wrote already answered your questions, the pictures are not the final designs, if we could design our own creatures they would be most likely different. It is hard to find some good artworks on the internet exactly of what you are imagining the creature to look like, also remember that this world are making two people, so we both, have to like somewhat the final choices. There is a lot of debates and we both are trying to persuade each other. Because of that alone I think it is all at least a little better

If you would like just focus on the creatures descriptions and abilities and not so much on the pictures

The thread "Minastir's lineups for HVIII" is completly other thing, why ? It's hard to not make line-ups with pictures of 'the worst Ubilol designs' since in this thread the world was still Ashan hahah what is written on the top of the page, it was more about choosing creatures for line-ups and not designs, more like the best of what this wretched world has to offer

PS: I have updated vampire description with two links, to pictures with Vampire Lord and Nosferatu, as you can see they are different from each other and that's how we would like the alternative upgrades to be, different visually and in terms of a role and abilities.

Skeleton - Necessary Evil I guess, don't mind them, as they are in the abilities of the Necropolis itself.

Ghost - Really hate ghost, its not a creature its a GROUPname, use Banshee, Pesta (Pestilence ghost), Dybbuk (possessing ghost), Poltergeist or ANYTHING other than ghost, those are ghosts, ghost itself isn't a creature.

Soul Eater - nah, don't like it, too much humanoids, in fact there is only one NON humanoid in this faction and its a boring dragon. I would put Barghest / Black Dogs here instead, awesome undead-like dogs that match good with undead.

Zombie - Horrible, I hate zombies. Ghouls are maybe better, or maybe something different all together. Also another humanoid.

Mummy - Good for an egyptian themed undead town, or neutral, but if you put Mummy with this town, you should put Ammit/Ammut with it too.

Gargoyle - Good for Academy or Inferno, don't like them in Necro.

Vampire - That is no vampire, that is a Moroi (pretty people vampire, they are the most common and BORING of vampires) I would use the shapeshifter Strigoi instead, they are ugly (homm3 style) vampires that create Moroi from their prey, much better.

Lich - I never liked Liches, but they are a necessary evil I guess.

Bone Dragon - I never cared for more forced dragons, you could use Codrille (Plague/diseased/pestilence Dragons) instead, not everything has to be undead, some could just join the dead, especially plague-based monsters. I would also suggest something like the Boneyard or Necronaut from D&D instead. Something different than the boring bone dragon.

Abomination - This could work, some horrid NON-humanoid flesh creation would be sweet, you just have to watch out you don't add too much humanoids or beast, make it balance.

Wraith - I know this is HOMM and stuff like that, But I would like to see an Ankou instead, like Ankou -> Grim Reaper or the other way around, don't like wraith.

Dread Knight - Ugh, where is my Dullahan or Headless Horseman!

Overal don't really like it, too much humanoids, too few new creatures and pretty people vampires and normal ghost and zombies are always bad in my book.

Some ideas from mythology for a new Necropolis style: Most ideas come straight from mythology, but I also used the game/book/whatever versions of some of these, like the Saxra's abilities are from Pathfinder, while its form is from myth.

Ammut/Ammit = Like I said, not everything should be undead, this Ammit or Soul Devourer is cool in an egyptian/desert based Necropolis with mummies, ghuls (undead genies) and Death-Based Sphinxes.

Baykok Are Native American flying undead which hunt for strong monsters, hunters and heroes which they kill with their magical arrows, they are a fresh breath in the HOMM series and could give your town some native american flavor, of course baykok can also be used as European-like myth, they are far more cooler than skeleton archers and could be higher level undead as well as lower ranked undead. They turn up in multiple ways on the internet and they are among the Wendigo as more commonly used Native American myth monsters.

Saxra - From Aztec/Mayan legends comes the Saxra, a very, VERY powerful magical undead which controll bones ( can summon spiky bones from the ground and summon skeletons) and which control the very wind itself (it is always surrounded by a gust of wind which carries bone splinters in it. They are Top level undead an give your town a Aztec flavor, it they can be used in any Necropolis setting.

ChonChon or Penananggal - Both have much in common, the Chon Chon is a decapitated head which is alive, much like a grotesque bat or bird. The Penananggal is pretty much the same but instead it comes from Indonesian myths, it has tentacles (not the viscera as that is too gruesome for HOMM) hanging from its neck, which it uses to kill prey, they could be upgrades like ChonChon -> Penananggal. Awesome low level undead, and original.

Draugr - Draugr come from Norse myths, they are sea-based undead, they are the drowned corpses of Vikings, Pirates and barbarians. They are awesome, but could also work as neutral. Their aura fills your lungs with water. The Haugbui could be their upgrade, they are the undead captains.

Death Coach, Ankou or Dullahan = These could work in different ways, Death Coach and Ankou ride Chariots of death like in this picture, but the headless Horseman or Dullahan could also work in in a chariot, but also on a horse or even without any steed at all.

Dybbuk or Poltergeist - These spirits of demons or humans are full of vengeance and they can possess objects or other creatures and control their actions or even give their hosts boosts beyond their own abilities, they could merge with another stack and give those creatures a serious boost in power.
Poltergeist could be the living weapon they possess, like a flying scimitar or sword possessed by the childish spirit of evil, and the Dybbuk, well they are demonic spirits, could also work in Inferno.

Gashadokuro - If you used enough beasty-undead in your line-up you could turn this ENORMOUS undead into your Level 7 monster. They can summon lesser skeletons from their mass and somewhat transform their boney forms much like a skeletal transformer.

Some others:

Ghul = Undead Genies/Djinn, they are evil black jinn which turn your wishes against you, much like Efreet, but some new flavor, suits within a desert-based Undead town or as neutral.

Harionago = Japanese undead female ghouls with living hair which they can use in battle.

Jack-in-Lantern = These hellish plants with a pumpkin face are scarecrows animated with burning hate, they can work with Necropolis, being some non-undead ally.

Nachzehrer = Mixing the ghoul with the vampire/nosferatu, these horrid undead can create links with their victims, when they tear at their own flesh, the damage they cause on their own regenerating bodies will be reflected onto the victims they are linked with.

Strigoi = The ugly, horrid, monstrous vampires that can shapeshift into wolves, bats and other evil animals.

Mothman = This strange humanoid moths will flock to disaster as a normal moth would flock to flame. They are natural allies of the Undead.

Petsuchos = Why the mummy always as to be humanoid, what isn't cool about a cool light-shooting mummified crocodile?

Nosoi or Aerico = Living diseases, Diseased Elementals or just spreaders of diseases, but both with ghastly forms created from nothing but disease.

Papinijuwari = Picture of the Meteor Giant, these are awesome species of Cyclops, they can travel in the form of meteor/falling star (not as big of course) and carry with them a cool lantern in which they carry the souls of the diseased, they feed on diseases and this links them with the undead.

Polong = A creature made from the blood of criminals, this could be some blood golem or blood elemental creature.

Pukwudgie = These little trolls with the quills of a porkupine are little terrors that create undead with their quills, when a victim is killed by their quills they rise as undead to fight for the Pukwudgie, they are masters of Voodoo and ally themselves with undead.

Rat King = These horrid swarms of rats are tangled together by their tails, forming some intelligent hive-mind, they spread a terrible plague and diseases. They mix with undead pretty well..

Salawa = These jackal-like horrors are the loyal pets of Set, their bite spreads madness and insanity, they could work in an egyptian based Undead town.

Scarab Beetle = These giant beetles (or swarms of hungry beetles that skim your bones of all flesh in matter of seconds) also suit well in an undead egyptian based town.

Then there are the undead Elementals:

Undead Earth Elemental = Obambo or Dorotabo, these are undead mud elementals, when somebody dies in nature, sometimes their spirit will merge with the mud, dirt and plants to form a new body to take vengeance with, turning into an undead earth elemental.

Undead Fire Elemental = Enenra, no not the Smoke from Mortal Kombat, but the smoke elemental (which is pretty much fire anyway) from japanese mythology, these horrid creatures enter your body in smoke form and destroy you from the inside out, choking you to death in their undead elemental bodies.

Undead Water Elemental = Umibozu, these HUGE black water elementals are the spirits of many sailors bound together by a terrible accident on sea, their spirits can't find rest and the undead water elementals are born.

Undead Air Elemental = Mythology has a lot of these, but my favorites are the Chindi (Native American) and the Ebajalg (Scandinavian), which both can be used as undead air elementals, some spiritual whirlwind of death, with sharp weapons in it or the spirits of the death they collected in their whirling forms.

Valravn = Undead and raven mix pretty well, Valravn is one of the coolest non-humanoid creatures out there, when they kill a stack of creatures they could shapeshift into a different form, that of a black knight covered in feathers. There are so many cool things you can do with valravn.

Vetala = These are much like zombies, but they can shift bodies, so if they are tired of the current corpse they possess they can find (or create) a new corpse to possess, they can only possess corpses though, not living creatures.

Aeternae = Like a mix of the X-men Wolverine and Marrow, these bone-controlling creatures can use their own saw-like bones as terrible wapons, creating claws from bone like Wolverine or shooting shards of their own ever-growing bones at enemies like Marrow, they can decorate their own bodies the way they see fit with their boney protuberance.

Ahkiyyini = This name is horrible for most people but the idea behind the creature is cool, it is a musical skeleton which plays instruments made from bones to cause horrible disasters such as earthquakes, tidal waves and even volcanic eruptions.

Aswang/Berbalang/Bal Bal/Mananananggal = These Philippino Ghouls can seperate from their own bodyparts to create team of bodyparts to take their prey down, Berbalang can even seperate from their very souls/spirits, to create a team of spirit and flesh.

Banaspati = Enormous flying skulls which are on fire and feed on fear, pretty awesome if you ask me.

Xing Tian = Undead Blemmyes, just see the picture:

Candileja = Fiery women spirits of burning hate.

Djieien = Solifugid Spiders which are undead pretty much like a lich spider.

Gloson = Undead pig/boars with razor sharp spikes on their backs and burning red eyes, they can spit fire and haunt graveyards.

Helhest = Much like the Nightmare, but more like a undead horse with 3 legs and you can see the skeleton through their spirtual forms.

Jubokko = The vampire tree, could work pretty well as evil treant like creatures that drink blood and which are created by vampires that forced treants on a died of blood.

Raven Mocker = Humanoid Ravens which feed on dying souls.

Sigbin = Shadow Monsters appearing much as strange mixes of goat and kangaroo, they feed on other shadows and blood, they are shadow based creatures and suit with the undead.

Wanyudo = These are tortured souls being bound to dangerous traps or wheels, they could also work as demons.

Fext = These are Slavic Death Knights, but with a much better name as the Dread Knight.

Instead of the Dread Knight you can also use one of the FOur Horseman in creature form.

Creatures based on Centipedes, Bats, Raven, Crows, Vultures, Scorpions and other such horrors could also work in this town.

There are much more undead freaks an creatures out there, but this is enough for now.

Quote:If there was alternative upgrades. (and yes, I still want female vampires, there are almost endless possibillities laying unexploited.)

Lol, endless possibilities with a female vampires? Female sexy, gothic vampires were only created with one purpose... To please the gothic boys who never seen a real woman in their life.

They are so milked out that everything has been done with them already, female vampires are really stupid if you ask me. Use Succubus for that role, they suit it more than vampires.

Hmm it's pretty much ashan all over again with few new adds, don't like cat-people among the orcs, in matter of fact i'm tired of Orcs all together, rather see Berserkers for a change, and NOT orc berserkers.

Please, keep in mind that what we are trying to do isn;t to create a new game from scratch that will have all new and never seen before mythological creatures. We want to incorporate new ones yes but maintain the faction identity as well. Each of these factions have a strong history and we mean to honor that any way we can. You cannot have a faction without some of its iconic creatures.

Also, i am saddened to see that Ashan has ruined the genre so much that anything that is done is always referenced as being too Ashan. But the truth is that we tried to see what was in the roots of the game, from heroes II-VII. We also tried to follow a theme and archetype for each faction where not only one race is prominent but still, the main race is recognisable. So yeah, berserkers were in the ideas but they would be orcs and not humans because there is a faction very heavy on humans anw.